NEED TO KNOW
Lou Christie, the 1960s pop star known for his unmistakable falsetto and chart-topping hit “Lightnin’ Strikes,” had died. He was 82.
The singer’s wife, Francesca, confirmed the news to The Hollywood Reporter. Christie died on Tuesday, June 17 at their home in Pittsburgh following a brief illness.
Born Lugee Alfredo Giovanni Sacco on Feb. 19, 1943, in Glenwillard, Pennsylvania, Christie rose to fame in the early 1960s with the hits “The Gypsy Cried” and “Two Faces Have I.” He wrote much of his material with longtime collaborator Twyla Herbert, a classically trained pianist four decades his senior.
His signature song was undoubtedly “Lightnin’ Strikes.” Released in 1966, it climbed the charts and hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on Christie’s 23rd birthday.
Driven by a dramatic arrangement and Christie’s operatic falsetto, the single told the story of a young man torn between love and infidelity — and captured a uniquely teenage mix of angst and bravado. It went on to sell over a million copies and has since been featured in films, television and commercials, cementing its place as a defining track of the era.
That same year, Christie released the follow-up single, “Rhapsody in the Rain,” a moody, orchestral follow-up that included the lyric, “We were makin’ out in the rain / And in this car, our love went much too far.” The song was one of the first pop hits to openly reference teenage sexual intimacy, and several radio stations banned it outright.
Under pressure, MGM Records issued a revised version with tamer lyrics, but the song still managed to reach No. 16 on the Billboard Hot 100.
MGM Records
Christie took a brief hiatus from music after being drafted into the U.S. Army. He returned to the charts with “I’m Gonna Make You Mine” in 1969, which made it into the top 10 again. His recording of “Beyond The Blue Horizon” in 1973 rose to No. 12 on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart and was featured in movie soundtrack of Rain Man.
Music would continue to come throughout the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s, with Christie dabbling in everything from country to disco.
Well into his later years, he remained a steady presence on the oldies circuit too, performing regularly alongside fellow ’60s icons Frankie Avalon and Fabian as part of the Golden Boys tour. In 2015, he released new material, including a song called “Drive-in Dreams.”
He’s remembered for his distinctive vocal style, which blended doo-wop, pop and rock and helped pave the way for future falsetto-driven acts (like Justin Timberlake and Benson Boone).
Bobby Bank/WireImage
In a 2020 interview with Cousin Brucie, Christie reflected on how he got his falsetto: “I had a high voice, I guess could sing when I was young in a high voice. And I guess when my voice changed, I just acquired the low one and never lost the high one. It was not that unique as I looked at it because I could do it. I didn’t walk around thinking it was that great. I could sing”
In addition to his wife, Christie is survived by a daughter. His son, Christopher, died in 2014.
