Gene Francis Alan Pitney was an American singer, songwriter and musician.
Pitney charted 16 top-40 hits in the United States, four in the top ten. In the United Kingdom, he had 22 top-40 hit singles, including 11 in the top ten. Among Pitney's most famous hits are Town Without Pity, Liberty Valance, Twenty Four Hours from Tulsa, I'm Gonna Be Strong, It Hurts to Be in Love, and Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart. He also wrote the early-1960s hits Rubber Ball recorded by Bobby Vee, Hello Mary Lou by Ricky Nelson, and He's a Rebel by the Crystals. In 2002, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.