Lou Christie, singer-songwriter who hit No. 1 with 'Lightnin' Strikes,' dies at 82

Lou Christie, the vocalist and songwriter who acceptable teen fans screaming successful the 1960s with hits similar “Lightnin’ Strikes” and “Two Faces Have I,” has died. He was 82.

Christie died astatine his location successful Pittsburgh aft a abbreviated illness, his household said Wednesday successful an announcement connected societal media.

“He was cherished not lone by his household and adjacent friends, but besides by countless fans whose lives helium touched with his kindness and generosity, creator and philharmonic talent, wit and spirit. His lack leaves a profound void successful each our hearts. He volition beryllium greatly missed, ever remembered, and everlastingly loved,” the connection read.

Christie was calved Lugee Alfredo Giovanni Sacco connected Feb. 19, 1943, successful Glenwillard, Pa., and took connected his signifier name, courtesy of a section euphony producer, erstwhile helium was a inactive a teen. Soon helium would conscionable his decades-older songwriting collaborator Twyla Herbert, a classically trained but eccentric instrumentalist who died successful 2009, and unneurotic they would constitute astir each of his songs and hundreds much for different artists.

In Pennsylvania, Christie recorded and released a single, “The Gypsy Cried,” that became a section deed successful the Pittsburgh area. He moved to New York, got enactment arsenic a backup vocalist and yet coiled up touring with Dick Clark’s Cavalcade of Stars, sitting connected a autobus with Diana Ross and different standouts.

“I was with Gene Pitney and Johnny Tillotson, the Supremes, Paul and Paula, Dick and Dee Dee, the Crystals, the Ronettes, Fabian, Frankie Avalon,” the vocalist told writer Gary James for ClassicBands.com. “To me, this was my graduating people and inactive is today.”

Christie’s fans screamed implicit his signature falsetto erstwhile “Two Faces Have I” made it to No. 6 connected the Billboard 100 successful 1963, the twelvemonth helium released his self-titled archetypal album. He spent 2 years successful the U.S. Army and upon his instrumentality released the azygous “Lightnin’ Strikes.” The song, disconnected the 1965 medium of the aforesaid name, deed No. 1 connected that illustration successful 1966.

He stirred up a spot of ungraded with the 1966 opus “Rhapsody successful Rain,” with lyrics that astatine the clip were considered explicit: Baby the raindrops play for maine / A lonely rhapsody ‘cause connected our archetypal day / We were makin’ retired successful the rainfall / And successful this car our emotion went overmuch excessively acold / It was breathtaking arsenic thunder / Tonight I wonderment wherever you are” and “Baby, I’m parked extracurricular your doorway / Remember makin’ love, makin’ love, we were makin’ emotion successful the storm.” The tune topped retired astatine No. 16 connected the charts.

His array of medium releases grew with “I’m Gonna Make You Mine” successful 1969, “Paint America Love” successful 1971, “Pledging My Love” successful 1997 and much records implicit the years.

The beingness of a teen idol successful the aboriginal 1960s was a premix of dismissal and adulation, according to adjacent Fabian Forte, who performed arsenic Fabian and toured with Christie successful stone ‘n’ rotation revival shows successful the 1980s.

“They laughed astatine us. They wouldn’t instrumentality america earnestly arsenic artists,” Forte told The Times successful 1985, talking astir euphony critics successful the 1950s and aboriginal ‘60s. But, helium added, “Don’t get maine wrong. It wasn’t each bad. For a teen-age boy, you tin ideate what it was similar having each those girls drooling implicit you. That was heaven.”

The teen idols of that epoch faded with the British Invasion, but Christie didn’t slice with them.

“I deed the extremity of that full era,” Christie told writer James for ClassicBands.com. “I’ve ever been betwixt the cracks of stone ‘n’ roll, I felt. The missing link. ... We had the teenage idols. We had Frankie Avalon. We had Fabian. That happening was conscionable astir closing down erstwhile a batch of my records started hitting. ... They each disappeared, but my records kept going done that English Invasion.”

In summation to releasing much euphony aboriginal successful life, Christie would connection up his vocal talents to assistance rise wealth for causes including the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation and a stone ‘n’ rotation status location for artists from the ‘50s and ‘60s planned by the Starlight Starbright foundation.

And successful those years aft his No. 1 spotlight had dimmed, Christie inactive knew however to enactment smiles connected fans’ faces, arsenic evidenced aft a show astatine a festival astatine Magic Mountain successful 1985.

The lawsuit began precocious connected 1 of the hottest days of the twelvemonth aft its lineup and docket had switched astir repeatedly starring up to the performance and the promoter had gone missing. Some acts that concert-goers expected to spot coiled up not performing — but Christie was not 1 of them.

“I’m truly gladsome the amusement turned retired well,” Christie told The Times successful 1985, lounging successful his trailer aft his acceptable astatine the “Spirit of the ‘60s” festival. “I archer you, I was going brainsick with this happening — on, off, connected again, disconnected again. I had to cancel immoderate dates I had arranged for aft this was canceled the archetypal time. But” — and a large grin crossed his look — ”they got their show, each right. The babe boomers truly dug it. Even radical backstage enjoyed it.”

A typical for the vocalist did not instantly respond Thursday to The Times’ petition for comment.