FIRST - Teen Idol to Perform at the Academy Awards - Rockville in Vernon, CT
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neoc1
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A plaque honors musician and songwriter Gene Pitney as the first teen idol to perform at the Academy Awards. The plaque is located in the lobby of the Town Hall in the Memorial Building at 14 Park Place in the Village of Rockville in Vernon, CT.
Waymark Code: WM16TPN
Location: Connecticut, United States
Date Posted: 10/04/2022
Views: 0
Recording artist Gene Pitney was nominated for an Oscar for best song "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance". He performed this song at the 1962 Academy Awards program and became the first pop music artist to perform at the Academy Awards.
A plaque dedicated to the memory of Gene Pitney is part of a larger exhibit honoring the life of recording artist and songwriter Gene Pitney. The plaque is inscribed:
GENE PITNEY
{IMAGE OF GENE PITNEY}
“THE ROCKVILLE ROCKET”
ACCLAIMED AS ONE OF THE TOP INTERNATIONAL POP SINGING STARS IN THE WORLD,
GENE FRANCIS PITNEY GREW UP HERE IN ROCKVILLE NEAR HENRY PARK
STARTING WITH A BAND HE FORMED AT
ROCKVILLE HIGH SCHOOL, HE ROSE TO FAME WITH HITS LIKE “TOWN WITHOUT PITY",
"294 HOURS FROM TULSA’, “THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE", “I'M GONNA BE STRONG",
“IT HURTS TO BE IN LOVE” AND OTHERS AS A GIFTED SONGWRITER, HE PENNED IMPRESSIVE HITS
LIKE “HELLO MARY LOU", “HE'S A REBEL” AND “RUBBER BALL”
GENE WAS ALSO THE FIRST TEEN IDOL TO PERFORM ON THE ACADEMY AWARDS. IN ADDITION,
HE WAS VOTED THE MOST POPULAR MALE SINGER IN ITALY IN 1964. HIS MUSICAL DIVERSITY NOT
ONLY RANGED FROM RECORDING SUCCESSFUL ALBUMS IN FOREIGN LANGUAGES,
BUT ALSO BROKE BARRIERS BY RECORDING DUET ALBUMS WITH COUNTRY LEGEND
GEORGE JONES. IN 1989, GENE HAD HIS FIRST #1 WORLDWIDE HIT WITH MARC ALMOND ON
"SOMETHING'S GOTTEN HOLD OF MY HEART". HE WAS INDUCTED INTO THE PRESTIGIOUS
ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME IN 2002. GENE PITNEY WAS OUR HOMETOWN HERO
WHO, DESPITE HAVING ENJOYED INCREDIBLE WORLDWIDE SUCCESS WILL
BE REMEMBERED FIRST AS A LOVING HUSBAND AND FATHER
WHO ALWAYS PLACED FAMILY OVER CAREER
DEDICATED TO HIS MEMORY BY
THE GENE PITNEY COMMEMORATIVE COMMITTEE
FOR THE TOWN OF VERNON.
Eugene Francis Pitney was born in Hartford, CT on February 17, 1940 and grew up in Rockville, CT. He began his singing career while a student at Rockville High School. During his recording career he wrote and performed 16 top 40 hit in the United Sates as well as 22 top 40 hits in the UK. Between 1962 and 2003 he released 39 albums. He also wrote several songs made famous by other singers, most notably "Rubber Ball" by Bobby Vee, "He's a Rebel" by the Crystals, and "Hello Mary Lou" by Ricky Nelson. In 2002, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Gene Pitney died shortly after performing a concert in Cardiff, Wales on April 5, 2006.
U.S. top 40 hits written and performed by Gene Pitney:
"(I Wanna) Love My Life Away"
"Town without Pity"
"(The Man Who Shot) Liberty Valance"
"Only Love Can Break a Heart"
"Half Heaven – Half Heartache"
"Mecca"
"True Love Never Runs Smooth"
"Twenty Four Hours from Tulsa"
"It Hurts to Be in Love"
"I'm Gonna Be Strong"
"I Must Be Seeing Things"
"Last Chance to Turn Around"
"Looking Through the Eyes of Love"
"Princess in Rags"
"Backstage"
"She's a Heartbreaker"
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