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Singer Gene Pitney's Music Stands Test of Time

NPR | By Neda Ulaby
Published April 5, 2006 at 4:00 PM EDT
Gene Pitney was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002. He is shown here at the ceremony in New York City.
Lawrence Lucier
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Gene Pitney was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002. He is shown here at the ceremony in New York City.

Songwriter and singer Gene Pitney has died at age 65. He was best known for such 1960s hits as "Town Without Pity," "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" and "Only Love Can Break A Heart." Pitney was found earlier Wednesday in a hotel room after performing last night in Cardiff, Wales.

Pitney never had a hit in the United States after 1968. But he continued to be popular abroad, where he was on tour when he died.

Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Neda Ulaby
Neda Ulaby reports on arts, entertainment, and cultural trends for NPR's Arts Desk.
See stories by Neda Ulaby
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