Gene Francis Alan Pitney was an American singer-songwriter, musician, and sound engineer.
Pitney charted 16 Top 40 hits in the United States, four in the Top 10. In the United Kingdom he had 22 Top 40 hits, and 11 singles in the Top Ten. He also wrote the early 1960s hits "Rubber Ball" recorded 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.
Pitney is also remembered for the Burt Bacharach–Hal David song "(The Man Who Shot) Liberty Valance", which peaked at No. 4 in 1962. Though it shares a title with the John Wayne western, the song was not used in the film because of a publishing dispute. That same year "Only Love Can Break a Heart" became his highest charting song in the US at No. 2, followed in December by "Half Heaven, Half Heartache", which reached No. 12 on the Billboard chart.
