Bill Pitman, famous version guitarist and member of Wrecking Crew, has died at the age of 102. Pitman died on August 11 at his home in La Quinta, California, The New York Times reported. Janet Pitman, his wife, told the magazine he died in hospital after sustaining a spinal injury in the fall. Pitman was born on February 12, 1920, and grew up in a musical family. His father worked as a bassist for NBC shows. Bill Pitman started playing music at the age of 5, and during high school he traveled from New Jersey to Manhattan as a fan of the local jazz stage.
He also served in World War II before moving to Los Angeles. Bill Pitman began performing in jazz clubs in Los Angeles in the 1950s when he was 31 years old. He rose to fame after getting a regular role in Peggy Lee’s backing band. Pitman then worked for three years as a regular performer on the radio show The Rusty Draper Program. Popular Pitman recordings include Be My Baby and Good Vibrations by the Ronettes, Tambourine Man by Mr. Bob Dylan and The Way We Were by Barbra Streisand. The opening ukulele is also heard on Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head by BJ Thomas. Netizens took to Twitter after learning of his passing to pay their respects to the great musician:
Studio guitarist Bill Pitman has died aged 102. His hits include: Ronettes “Be My Baby,” Beach Boys “Good Vibrations,” Sinatra “Strangers in the Night,” Presley “Blue Hawaii,” Streisand “The Way We Were,” & ukulele “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head”https://t.co/qCZ3o
– Paul Myers (@pulmyears) August 12, 2022
 Guitarist Bill Pitman and bassist Carol Kaye in a scene from the documentary “The Wrecking Crew” (2008). Despite practically unknown outside of the music world, Mr. Pitman has been heard on countless recordings and motion pictures. pic.twitter.com/RTobwEPc4t
– Clem Caruthers (@ClemJamesaid) August 12, 2022
Bill Pitman began working as a studio musician in 1957.
Pitman began working as a studio musician in 1957. Phil Spector brought Pitman into his band of studio musicians. The session’s musicians, all from Los Angeles, have a rotating roster. It was renamed The Wrecking Crew after Spector’s 1958 song To Know Him Is To Love Him. Pitman quickly gained demand for Capitol Records and other Los Angeles-based groups after the song’s release. Glen Campbell, Carol Kaye and Leon Russell were his colleagues at the time. Pitman has worked with many musicians, including Frank Sinatra, The Beach Boys and Bob Dylan.
He also worked on other films, including the 1961 Elvis Presley film Blue Hawaii, as well as M*A*S*H (1970), Fast Times At Ridgemont High (1982), Dirty Dancing (1987) and Goodfellas (1988). (1990). Pitman was featured in the 2008 documentary The Wrecking Crew, where he discussed his work with a diverse and intimate group of musicians. Denny Tedesco, son of guitarist Tommy Tedesco, fellow Wrecking Crew, directed the documentary.
Tedesco paid tribute to Pitman on Facebook, writing:
“He was a friend of my father who played guitar and played golf with him,” he wrote. “I didn’t realize his impact on me until I was older.” From ‘Mr. Tamborine Man’ through ‘Good Vibrations’, you can hear Bill… He’s a great guy.”
He has contributed to the soundtracks of other films, including Fast Times at Ridgemont High and Goodfellas. During the 1970s, the artist also toured with Burt Bacharach and Vicki Carr. Bill Pitman is also a member of the main band at the MGM Grand Hotel. After retiring in 1989, the artist continued to play music privately for entertainment.
Categories: Entertaintment
Source: vcmp.edu.vn