ARGUS reviewer Nigel Corten was one of the last people to see Sixties superstar Gene Pitney perform. He says the singer's death in a Cardiff hotel means he has lost "an old friend".

TO SAY you could have knocked me over by the proverbial feather when I heard the news of the death of US singing star Gene Pitney is putting it mildly.

Less than 12 hours previously I, like thousands of others at St David's Hall in Cardiff, was enjoying one of the true icons of the Sixties pop scene.

There was no sign of what was come when he strolled on to the stage and launched into a 20-song-plus set that kicked off with arguably his greatest hit, Twenty-Four Hours from Tulsa.

I hadn't seen him for about 20 years, and save for a grey thatch and a bit of a limp he seemed on top form.

There was perhaps just a hint of nervousness in that first number, causing a couple of slightly off-key moments, but he was back to his best from there on.

Apart from the incredible songs and delivery, it was the reading of greetings cards from his fans halfway through, and then, while the band played over and over again the opening stanza of the first encore number, Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart, he took the time to shake hands, sign autographs, and just genuinely revel in the adoration of the throng at the front of the stage.

Not quite as stunning as the announcement of Pitney's passing was the instant interest from the media, who had had wind that I had done a review for the Argus for last night's paper and were after my views.

It was very, very difficult as I was in complete shock. It was like losing a very old friend, and in truth for this SIxties-aholic, it was.

He was one of a small number of lone voices in the chart battles with all those bands like the Beatles, Stones and other heavyweights back in those heady days.

But, going back to last night, he finished off his one hour and twenty minutes set with, ironically, Town Without Pity.

And his passing is truly a great pity, not only to his family, but, if last night at St David's Hall was any indication, to many thousands of fans around the world.