Chart-topping singer Lou Christie dead at 82
Chart-topping singer Lou Christie, who had a number one with ‘Lighnin’ Strikes’ on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1966, has passed away aged 82.
The Pittsburgh native died at his home after a short illness, his wife Francesca confirmed with The Hollywood Reporter. Her husband was known for his signature falsetto and had his first year of musical triumph in 1963 with two songs penned alongside longtime collaborator Twyla Herbet. ‘The Gypsy Cried’ and ‘Two Faces Have I’ brought the singer his first round of acclaim.
His hit ‘Lightnin’ Strikes’ was released on MGM Records in December 1965. It reached number one in the charts two months later, on the same day as Christie’s birth. The track was arranged, conducted and produced by Charles Calello and featured backing vocals from Bernadette Carroll, Peggy Santiglia and Denise Ferri of The Delicates.
Christie graduated from high school in 1961. He moved to New York, where he worked as a session vocalist for some time. After music executive Nick Cenci helped Christie with his image, the singer received a coveted place on a music tour, and his career began to take off.
Dick Clark’s Caravan of Stars saw Christie perform 32 shows in a row. Diano Ross and others would become his caravan confidants. However, Christie followed this dreamy tour with two years of service in the US Army.
In the spring of 1966, Christie wrote ‘Rhapsody in the Rain’, which reached number 16 on the Hot 100. The single depicted a teenager having sex in the backseat of a car, during a rainstorm, with the windshield wipers going berserk. The single’s success comes despite many radio stations banning it for its explicit nature.
Christie seemed full of chart-toppers. He gained another number ten in October 1969 with ‘I’m Gonna Make You Mine’. In 1974, his version of ‘Beyond the Blue Horizon’ went country.
The musician’s last album was recorded in 2004. He is survived by his daughter, Bianca; his son Christopher passed from a motorcycle accident in 2014.
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