A few thoughts about Gene Pitney

The older you get, the more the big names of your youth die, the politicians, the sports star, the musicians. I was saddened to read this week of the death of Gene Pitney, who never quite received his due, even though he was elected to the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame.
Pitney was probably on my second tier of favorite early 60s singers, ranking behind people like Roy Orbison, Elvis, Rick Nelson, Marty Robbins, the Beach Boys and the Four Seasons, but ranking ahead of nearly all others.
I had the great fortune to see Pitney in concert several years ago at the James River Sports Complex in Springfield, and my estimation of him rose greatly following that evening.
It was one of those oldies shows touring the country and Mr. Pitney was the last act, following Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels and Del Shannon. Ryder had no problems recreating his '60s hits, such as "Devil with the Blue Dress On," "Jenny Take a Ride," and "Sock it to Me, Baby." Unfortunately, when his time was finished, Mr. Shannon had apparently not arrived, so Ryder was kind enough to do an extra 20 minutes.
Mr. Shannon appeared rather surly when he showed up, though he put on a high-powered performance, including his signature hits "Runaway" and "Hats Off to Larry."
Apparently, it was Mr. Shannon that the crowd had come to see. As Mr. Pitney began performing, the crowd began picking up its lawnchairs and beating a hasty retreat. Probably more than half of the audience left during Mr. Pitney's first couple of songs.
It was obvious that Mr. Pitney was losing money on the show...though he was one of those who could afford it. From all accounts, Mr. Pitney was not one of those who burned his way through his money. He invested wisely and was a multi-millionaire. He had to have been, for you don't see many people who hire a full orchestra to back them up on the oldies circuit. He wanted to make sure the songs sounded just as his fans remembered them. He was performing, not to make money...he had enough of that...but because he loved to perform.
Mr. Pitney had the grace to ignore those who rudely departed and gave an excellent performance, working his way through is considerable repertoire, including such hits as "Only Love Can Break a Heart," "Town Without Pity," "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" and "Every Little Breath I Take," as well as hits that he wrote including "Hello, Mary Lou," and "Rubber Ball."
After the concert, where Mr. Shannon had immediately disappeared after his performance, Mr. Pitney took the time to sign autographs and talk with his fans.
Gene Pitney was a class act.