Mileposts

BOY: Louis Erick Whitehead, to Nancy Tunick and Scott Whitehead, March 22 in Nashville. Mother is a managing partner at GrassRoots Promotion. Father is member of duo Hometown News.



BOY: Harlan Perry Howard III, to Jill and Perry Howard, March 24 in Nashville. Father is an associate director of writer/publisher relations at BMI Nashville.



Gene Pitney, 65, of unspecified causes, April 5 at a hotel in Wales. Pitney was a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame whose hits included "Town Without Pity" and "Only Love Can Break a Heart."

Born in Hartford, Conn., Pitney had his first success as a songwriter with "Rubber Ball," a hit for Bobby Vee that reached No. 6 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart in 1961. It was only a few months before Pitney's work hit the chart again, this time at No. 9 for Ricky Nelson's "Hello Mary Lou."

Pitney had multiple successes as a performer with "Love My Life Away" and "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance." In 1962, he had his biggest U.S. hit with "Only Love Can Break a Heart," taking the No. 2 spot on the Billboard Pop Singles chart. He was beaten to the top of the chart that week by his own handywork, as the No. 1 song was the Crystals' "He's a Rebel," which he wrote.

He even paired with George Jones for country offerings "I've Got Five Dollars and It's Saturday Night" and "Louisiana Man." In 1990, he scored his first U.K. No. 1 single with the Marc Almond duet "Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart."

He is survived by his wife, Lynne, and three sons.



Jackie McLean, 74, of unspecified causes, March 31 at his home in Hartford, Conn. McLean was an alto saxophonist who recorded for Blue Note Records during a 42-year span.

McLean was raised in Harlem's Sugar Hill neighborhood, a hotbed of bebop activity. His first Blue Note appearance was as a sideman on pianist Sonny Clark's "Cool Struttin' " session in 1958.

McLean made his own label debut with "Jackie's Bag" in 1959. He recorded 31 sessions as a leader for Blue Note during the next four decades. His 1960s output epitomized the hard bop movement with such hard-swinging records as "Bluesnik."

McLean was a featured performer on "One Night With Blue Note," the concert celebrating the relaunch of Blue Note in 1985 that the label captured as a record. He made several Blue Note records in the late '90s, including his last, "Nature Boy," in 2000 with the Cedar Walton trio.

After moving to Hartford in 1970, he began teaching at the University of Hartford's Hartt School of Music, founding its African-American music program as well as his own community cultural center in downtown Hartford called the Artists Collective, which he ran alongside his wife, Dollie.

In addition to Dollie, McLean is survived by his sons Rene and Vernone and daughter Melonae.