1961 - The Jury / Little Did I Know (Robbee R-112)
Marcy Jo bb The Lions (2)
1961 - Ronnie / My First Mistake (Robbee R-110)
1961 - Since Gary Went In The Navy / What I Did This Summer (Robbee R-116)
Chic Christy bb The Lions (2)
1961 - With This Kiss / My Billet-Doux To You (HAC 103)
Biography :
Lou Christy was born as Lugee Alfredo Giovanni Sacco in Glen Willard,
PA in 1943. He studied music and voice at Moon Township High School.,
where he was the student conductor of the choir. At age 15 Lugee, as a
member of the singing group the Crewnecks with future Lions’ Bill Fabec ,
auditioned for pianist Twyla Herbert. She offered the Crewnecks a
place to rehearse. He sang solos with the choir at the holiday
concerts. His teacher and mentor Frank Cummings wanted him to pursue a
career in classical music, but Lugee wanted to cut a record to get on
American Bandstand.
The Crewnecks (1959) : Bill Fabec, Amyr, Judy Hoskinson and Lou Sacco
He
performed with several vocal groups, worked as a session singer, and
recorded songs on small Pittsburgh labels between 1959 and 1962. In
1960, Lou Christie with Kenny Krease, Kay Chick & Shirley Herbert
recorded some songs as the Classics.
He released with his sister Amy Sacco, Kay Chick and Bill Fabec "The
Jury" as "Lugee & The Lions" on Robbee with local airplay and
sales. The tiny Pittsburgh label, Robbee Records, launched in 1960 by
local pianist/bandleader/producer/arranger Lennie Martin (who named it
after his son Robert), and his partner Lou Guarino.
Amy Sacco Lou Sacco "Lou Christy"
Lugee & The Lions backed Marcy Jo on her national hit “Ronnie”.
Marcy Jo was 17-year-old Marcy Rae Sockel, born on January 4, 1944 in
Pittsburgh, and the song Ronnie (which she wrote) was actually about her
boyfriend Howard ."Ronnie" ended up at # 81 Hot 100 in June 1961. The
Lions also did background vocals on a record by Chic Christy (no
relation) for Hac.
Marcy Jo Marcy Jo
In 1962,Sacco approached Nick Cenci with some demo tapes. Cenci liked
Christie's falsetto voice and suggested that he listen to the Four
Seasons' recent hit, "Sherry". Christie and his writing partner Twyla
Herbert used the song as a model to write their original song called
“The Gypsy Cried”. Wanting to create a new image Cenci changed the
singer’s name to Lou Christie. They released the single in 1963. It
became a hit, selling 30,000 copies in Pittsburgh.
Songs :
Lugee & The Lions (2)
The Jury Little Did I Know
Marcy Jo bb The Lions (2)
Ronnie My First Mistake
Since Gary Went In The Navy What I Did This Summer
