Gene Rockwell - Town without pity
212 views · Published 5 August 2018 · 3:14 · Indexed 23 September 2026
Channel: keurspel (Leon Rossouw) · 2018 · Music
Gene Rockwell (real name Gert Smit) was a South African artist, and a legend in his time. He was born 27 December 1944 in Krugersdorp, close to Johannesburg, and died on 3 July 1998. He won his first talent competition at the age of 15 in Durban's "Little Top". Still in his teens, Gene formed The Blue Angels (to become The Falcons in 1963) with whom he played guitar and sang his famous gritty-blues-style songs. The original line up of the Falcons was George Usher (lead guitar), Jannie Heynes (bass guitar), Clive Swegman (rhythm guitar), Frank Rickson (drums). Gene's most famous recording was "Heart", which has been one of the top selling singles in South African history. This song is off the album "The Greatest Pop Discovery Of The Age", released in 1964. It's a cover of a song by Gene Pitney from 1961.
