It feels like we’re losing so many beloved artists lately.
Now comes word that Lou Christie, the falsetto-voiced teen idol behind the 1966 No. 1 hit “Lightnin’ Strikes,” has died at 82.
Born Lugee Alfredo Giovanni Sacco in Glenwillard, Pennsylvania, Christie began singing in a church choir and rose to fame in the early ’60s with “The Gypsy Cried” and “Two Faces Have I.” But it was “Lightnin’ Strikes,” co-written with Twyla Herbert, that made him a pop legend.
Christie had no formal training, recording early tracks in a small hometown studio. His musical journey began with a first-grade performance of “Away in a Manger,” where he first felt the spark of performing.
He continued touring into his 80s, attributing his longevity to clean living: “I’m not a liquor drinker, I don’t smoke… I live a peaceful life.”
On June 17, his family announced his passing after a brief illness. No cause of death was given.
He is survived by his wife, Francesca, and two children.