Rock 'n' roll world loses one if its own in Gene Pitney

Gene Pitney, who died April 5 at the age of 65, could never accept being pegged as an oldies act. Up until the final night of his life, when he performed at a concert in England, he blended in new material with his hits from the 1960s.

"I'm not an oldies act and I'm not going to be a piece of meat who walks out on stage and just sings from a different time period," Pitney told me in a 2001 interview. "The old songs hold up well but I also want to do new stuff."

Pitney, inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002, was a bit like Roy Orbison, with a big voice that could fit in with a rock band or symphony. Pitney had a classically-influenced singing style that seemed out of place in the pop-dominated era of the early to mid '60s when he made his hit records.

The list included "Town Without Pity," a best seller in 1961. The number was written for a movie of the same name and was nominated for an Academy Award. Although it didn't win, Pitney became one of the first rock artists to perform a song on the Oscar telecast that year.

"Town Without Pity" was the last song Pitney sang at the concert the night before his death.

"I love that record, it's a classic," said Bill Barr, morning personality at Big Oldies FM 92.9. "It's one of those songs that if you hear it when you're having a bad day, really hits you. The way he sings it makes you feel the whole world is against you."

Another movie song, "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" was supposed to be the title track for the John Wayne movie of the same name. But the film was released before the song was added. Regardless, the single was a smash.

Pitney's other memorable singles were, "(I Wanna) Love My Life Away," "Only Love Can Break A Heart," "True Love Never Runs Smooth," "It Hurts to be in Love," "Half Heaven, Half Heartache," "Looking Through the Eyes of Love" and "Twenty Four Hours From Tulsa."

"Gene Pitney was a classic singer in the crazy world of rock'n'roll," said Greg Pando, of the Ocala band Rewind. "He had a unique style and when you hear his voice on those records, it sticks out. He was a great talent."

In addition to singing, Pitney was also a talented songwriter. He wrote two No. 1 hits for other artists: "Hello Mary Lou" for Ricky Nelson and "He's A Rebel" for the Crystals. He also wrote "Rubber Ball" for Bobby Vee.

Pitney, who was born and lived near Hartford, Conn., was found dead in his Cardiff, Wales hotel room on Wednesday morning. Authorities believe the death was due to natural causes.

"It's a shame," Pando said. "We're at the point where we're losing a whole generation of artists who made the music we grew up with."

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Anthony Violanti may be contacted at 867-4154 or anthony.violanti@starbanner.com