Belleville Native Bill Pitman Dies At 102; NJ Governor Among Mourners

BELLEVILLE, NJ — Bill Pitman, an Essex County native who served as a session musician in the legendary Wrecking Crew of the 1960s and 1970s, died at the age of 102, reports say.

Pitman, who was born in Belleville, passed away Thursday at his home in California, The New York Times reported.

Pitman played guitar and bass on some of the most influential records of the rock and roll era, including albums by stars such as Sam Cooke, Nancy Sinatra, the Monkees, James Brown and the Beach Boys.

The Wrecking Crew – a group of session musicians – worked anonymously, making it hard to track credits. But Pitman is known for helping producer Phil Spector bring his “Wall of Sound” to life, playing on “A Christmas Gift to You From Phil Spector.” He is also credited with playing the ukulele on B.J. Thomas’ 1969 single, “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head,” and did extensive work as a musician and composer for films and television, Rolling Stone reported.

Gov. Phil Murphy tweeted a message of condolence mourning Pitman on Sunday. Murphy wrote:

“Deeply saddened by the passing of guitar legend and Belleville native Bill Pitman. He contributed to the creation of classics like ‘Be My Baby’ by the Ronettes and ‘Good Vibrations’ by the Beach Boys. The music industry lost an extraordinary session icon.”

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