On this day, 5 November 1965, American singing star Gene Pitney played Cardiff’s Capitol Theatre.
Also on the bill were the Rockin' Berries, Lulu & The Luvvers, Peter & Gordon, Mike Cotton Sound, The Quiet Five, with Syd & Eddie (comperes).
In the United Kingdom, Pitney had 22 top 40 hits, and 11 singles in the top ten. Among his most famous hits are "Town Without Pity", "(The Man Who Shot) Liberty Valance", "Twenty Four Hours from Tulsa", "I'm Gonna Be Strong", and "It Hurts To Be In Love". He also wrote the early 1960s hits "Rubber Ball" recorded by Bobby Vee, "Hello Mary Lou" by Rick Nelson, and "He's a Rebel" by the Crystals. In 2002, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Pitney maintained a successful career in Britain and the rest of Europe into the 1970s, appearing regularly on UK charts as late as 1974.
Pitney was touring the UK in the spring of 2006 when his manager found him dead in his hotel room following a concert in Cardiff, Wales, on April 5.
An autopsy found the cause of death to be a heart attack and that he had severely occluded coronary arteries. His final show at Cardiff's St David's Hall had earned him a standing ovation; he ended with "Town Without Pity".
He was buried at Somers Center Cemetery in Somers, Connecticut.
