786 Lou Christie (1943- ) “Lightnin’ Strikes” 1965

“His outrageous falsetto was, on its own, enough for me to become a fan, but Lou Christie had plenty more. Unforgettable bubblegum hit? Check. Major statement album? Check. Sexual ambiguity? Check. Four octave range? Check… Lou Christie was raised on a farm near Pittsburgh - the second of six kids - with 200 chickens and crab apple trees: ‘The sophistication level was pretty much nil.’ His dad worked in the local steel mill. Lou wanted to be a singer, and coerced his sister Amy and friends into singing harmonies, working their way through various doo-wop outfits. Lou was adaptable, singing the lowest bass and highest tenor in his school choir. Doing an audition in a local church crypt in the early 60s, Lou first met his future writing partner Twyla Herbert” (Bob Stanley, Record Collector, Sept. 2017). 

Lou Christie “Lightnin’ Strikes”