Lou Christie, 1960s Teen Idol & ‘Lightnin’ Strikes’ Hitmaker, Dies at 82

Lou Christie, one of the most beloved teen idols of the 1960s and the voice and songwriter behind Billboard Hot 100-topper “Lightnin’ Strikes,” has died. He was 82 years old.

The musician died on Wednesday (June 18) at home in Pittsburgh after fighting a long illness, his wife, Francesca, told The Hollywood Reporter.

Born Lugee Alfredo Giovanni Sacco on Feb. 19, 1943, and hailing from Glenwillard, Penn., Christie soared to fame in the early ’60s with hits such as “The Gypsy Cried” and “Two Faces Have I,” the latter of which reached No. 6 on the Hot 100 in 1963. The star’s biggest hit came three years later, when “Lightnin’ Strikes” ascended to the chart’s summit, but he would still score a top 10 smash years later in 1969 with “I’m Gonna Make You Mine.”

Christie also had two LPs make it to the Billboard 200 chart, including his 1963 self-titled debut and 1966’s Lightnin’ Strikes.

Known for his dexterous falsetto and charisma as a performer, Christie made his name as a teen idol in the age of Frankie Valli, Frankie Avalon and Paul Anka. He cut his teeth as a live artist on Dick Clark’s Caravan of Stars tour, sharing dates with with Diana Ross and the Supremes.

But what made Christie a particularly special voice of his generation was that he was as gifted at writing his songs as he was at singing them. The musician penned many of his biggest hits, including “The Gypsy Cried,” “Two Faces Have I” and “Lightnin’ Strikes,” and he frequently worked with collaborator Twyla Herbert.

Christie had a wife, Francesca, and a daughter named Bianca. In 2014, he lost his only son, Christopher, to a deadly motorcycle accident in Houston.