PITTSBURG, PA (CelebrityAccess) — Lou Christie, the recording artist known for his distinctive falsetto and string of 1960s pop hits including “Lightnin’ Strikes” and “I’m Gonna Make You Mine,” died on Wednesday. He was 82.
His passing was announced by his family on social media: “It is with deep sorrow that we share the passing of our beloved brother, Lou Christie, who left us after a brief illness.” A cause of death was not disclosed.
Born Lugee Alfredo Giovanni Sacco in suburban Pittsburgh, Christie formed his first group, Lugee and the Lions, while still in high school and began collaborating with songwriter Twyla Herbert, with whom he would write much of his early material.
After graduation, he moved to New York City, where he found work as a session vocalist while continuing to develop his own recordings. He broke through nationally in 1962 with “The Gypsy Cried,” launching a career that would span decades.
Christie’s final major hit came in 1969 with “I’m Gonna Make You Mine,” released by Buddah Records. The song became a transatlantic success, reaching No. 2 on the UK charts.
In the 1980s, he became a regular presence on the oldies circuit and continued to release new music, including a rendition of Conway Twitty’s “It’s Only Make Believe” with Lesley Gore, and a duet with Pia Zadora on Wilson Pickett’s “Don’t Knock My Love.”
