GENE PITNEY Was Born this Day in 1941

Rockville, Connecticut's GENE PITNEY was born this day in 1941. Early on, he recorded under aliases such as Billy Bryan and Jamie & Jane, but found fame beginning in the early 1960s under his real name with songs he wrote for others such as "Rubber Ball," "He's a Rebel," and "Hello Mary Lou." As a vocalist, he scored with "Only Love Can Break a Heart," "Mecca," "True Love Never Runs Smooth," "I'm Gonna Be Strong," "Town without Pity," "She's a Heartbreaker," and "It Hurts to Be in Love." The latter was originally intended for Neil Sedaka. In fact, Sedaka's lead vocal tracks were erased in favor of Pitney's, while leaving Sedaka's harmony vocals on the record. Pitney has the distinction of being the first American artist to record a song written by Mick Jagger & Keith Richards - "That Girl Belongs to Yesterday." See a classic performance of "It Hurts to Be in Love" by clicking below.