Gene Francis Alan Pitney (February 17 1940 - April 5 2006) was an American singer and songwriter.

Through the mid-1960s, he enjoyed considerable success on both sides of the Atlantic, and charted more than 20 Top 40 hit singles. He was also an accomplished songwriter,guitarist, pianist, drummer, and skilled sound engineer. In 2002, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Gene Francis Alan Pitney, b. 17 February 1941 (Hartford, Connecticut, USA), d. 5 April 2006. … After a successful singing career spanning five decades, at the age of 65, he was found dead of natural causes, 5 April 2006, while in the middle of a sellout UK tour. Pitney, a pop rock pioneer, had his greatest success overall in Britain, first traveling there after his first self penned hit in 1961. “I Wanna Love My Life Away” hit #26 on the UK singles chart & just broke into the top 40 in the