Bill Pitman, Wrecking Crew Guitarist, Dead at 102

Wrecking Crew guitarist Invoice Pitman has died at age 102. He recorded with the likes of Frank Sinatra, the Seashore Boys and the Byrds, and his work appeared in numerous movies and TV exhibits over time.

In line with The New York Instances, Pitman’s spouse, Janet, stated he died after spending 4 weeks at a rehabilitation middle in Palm Springs, the place he was being handled for a fractured backbone because of a fall. He was at dwelling beneath hospice care on the time of his dying.

Born on Feb. 12, 1920, in Belleville, N.J., Pitman turned occupied with music from a younger age. His father was a bass participant on workers at NBC. Whereas nonetheless in highschool, Pitman would go to jazz golf equipment in New York Metropolis, the place he was uncovered to artists like Charlie Parker. He ultimately relocated to California, the place he studied on the Los Angeles Conservatory of Music, and wound up becoming a member of Peggy Lee’s band. He then took a job taking part in for the radio program The Rusty Draper Present for 3 years. Someday, he sat in for guitarist Tony Rizzi, who was recording for Capitol Information. Pitman was quickly one of the vital sought-after guitarists within the business.

In 1957, Pitman was requested by Bertha Spector, Phil Spector’s mom, if he would educate her son the best way to play jazz guitar. Afterward, Phil Spector would make use of Pitman on a number of of his Wall of Sound recordings. In 1963, when “Be My Child” turned successful, Spector named the jam session on the file’s flip aspect “Tedesco and Pitman” after two of his favourite guitar gamers: Pitman and Tommy Tedesco, who would additionally turn into a significant determine within the Wrecking Crew. Regardless that he was personally extra inclined towards jazz, Pitman ended up recording with practically each huge identify that recorded pop songs in Nineteen Sixties Los Angeles, together with the Seashore Boys’ (“Good Vibrations”), Nancy Sinatra (“These Boots Are Made for Walkin'”) and the Byrds’ (“Mr. Tambourine Man”).

Pitman may be heard on the soundtracks of a whole lot of movies, together with M*A*S*H (1970), Quick Instances at Ridgemont Excessive (1982), Soiled Dancing (1987) and Goodfellas (1990). He additionally recorded for the TV exhibits The Wild Wild West, I Love Lucy, Bonanza, The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour and The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour. He additionally earned a couple of composition credit for his work in early episodes of Star Trek.

The guitarist was featured within the 2008 film The Wrecking Crew, which was directed by Tedesco’s son Denny Tedesco. “Rising up, as just a little child, I all the time knew who Invoice Pitman was,” Denny Tedesco wrote in a Fb put up following Pitman’s dying. “He was my dad’s good friend who performed guitar and golf with him. It wasn’t till I obtained older did I perceive the influence that he made.”

Pitman stopped working as a session musician in 1973 however continued to carry out on the street with Burt Bacharach, Anthony Newley, Vikki Carr and others. He additionally later labored on the musical workers at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Lodge. Though he formally retired in 1989, Pitman continued to play music round the home. In 2019, his spouse informed The New York Instances that he “performs the guitar at dwelling nearly daily.”