Wednesday Wail: TOWN WITHOUT PITNEY

If you didn't go through your teens in the late 50's and early 60's it's hard to understand what a dark force Gene Pitney was considered. He was also controversial (and I make no attempt to resolve the whole Rick Nelson dispute here). Even when he wold out and went commercial there was a demonic side to his music. Liberty Vallance was about a back shooting ambush. Town without pity was the sound track for a rape flick. Dark, Dark stuff but the guy oozed talent. Not too many guys wrote for Rick Nelson and Roy Orbison in the same life.

I heard in the media that he was 69. I think that's incorrect. He was only 64. He couldn't even die without controversy but he was one talented dude.