Lou Christie, 'Lightnin' Strikes' Crooner, Dies at 82

Lou Christie, a singer famous for his falsetto and hits like "Lightnin' Strikes," died June 18 after an unspecified illness.

He was 82.

His wife of 54 years confirmed his passing to THR.

Born Lugee Sacco on February 19, 1943, in Pennsylvania, he was gifted musically from a young age. At 15, he teamed up with Twyla Herbert, a songwriter more than twice his age, with whom he wrote dozens of memorable songs.

Active musically while in high school, he was rechristened Lou Christie upon graduation and achieved a million-selling hit with "The Gypsy Cried," which in 1962 went from regional to national success.

In 1963, he earned a second million-selling hit with "Two Faces Have I," a Top 10 smash.

After military service, he bounced back in 1965 with what would become his signature tune, "Lightnin' Strikes," a no. 1 in the U.S. and Canada.

He had many other minor hits with Herbert, most prominently "Rhapsody in the Rain" (1966), which was a Top 20 hit in spite — or because — of a controversy over the lyrics about "makin' love in the storm." The song's narrator even noted "in this car, our love went much too far." A so-called clean version had to be rush-released to appease conservative critics who found the overheated pop track too "exciting, exciting, ooh-wee, ooh-wee" for young ears.

Though experiencing a career resurgence, he only hit the Billboard Top 40 once more, with "I'm Gonna Make You Mine" in 1969, this one written by Tony Romeo of "I Think I Love You" fame. It featured backing vocals by Linda Scott, who retired from music shortly thereafter, Valerie Simpson and his great friend Lesley Gore.

He lost a shot at one more massive hit when his vocals were dropped from a 1971 cover of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight," replaced with those of Robert John, who scored a gold record.

He did find adult-contemporary success with "Beyond the Blue Horizon," a countrified tune, in 1974, and scored a minor pop hit with "Summer '81 Medley," a Beach Boys medley credited to the Cantina Band feat. Lou Christie in 1981.

Christie continued recording albums until 2004, and toured often with the likes of Frankie Avalon and Fabian as Dick Fox's Golden Boys.

He is survived by his wife and their daughter. He was preceded in death by a son who died in a motorcycle accident in 2014.