It's been confirmed that Gene Pitney, whose body, as previously reported, was discovered in a hotel room in Cardiff last week, died of heart disease. His now released death certificate reveals the cause of death as hardening of the arteries, or coronary artery atherosclerosis. He was identified by friend and tour manager Geoffrey Clennell, who found the star dead in his room at the city's Hilton hotel, still fully clothed from his concert the previous evening. His management company have been handling arrangements to have his body flown home to the US for his funeral.
A book of condolences for the singer-songwriter was opened on Friday at St David's Hall in Cardiff, the venue where Pitney played his final concert last week. More than 120 people signed the book in its first two days in the venue's foyer. The city's Lord Mayor Freda Salway was the first to sign, saying: "I was extremely saddened to hear about the death of Gene Pitney. He was a truly iconic figure in the world of music and we were extremely lucky in Cardiff that he visited this city many times to perform at St David's Hall. I know that he had many Welsh fans and his performances were always enthusiastically received. I wanted to pay my respects by signing this book of condolence, which I know will reflect just how fondly thought of Gene was in Cardiff."
St David's Hall house manager Gareth Griffiths said: "People are going up to it and signing it all the time. It seems to have quite a lot of attention. He was a mainstay of our calendar for the past decade or so. He was here every two years."