Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
South African artist born on 27 December 1944 in Krugersdorp, near Johannesburg. When Gene was 18 months old, his parents moved to Durban. At the age of 15 he won his first talent competition at Durban’s “Little Top”. Still in his teens, he formed his first band, The Blue Angels, but in 1963 they changed their name to The Falcons. Gene played guitar and provided vocals for The Falcons. The rest of the band consisted of:
1. George Usher - lead guitar
2. Jannie Heynes - bass guitar
3. Clive Swegman - rhythm guitar
4. Frank Rickson - drums
In the late 1960s Gene decided to follow a solo career and became famous for the unique, emotional manner in which he interpreted any song, even the well-known ones. He had ten South African Top 20 hits:
1. Ciao – 1965, #4, 11 weeks
2. Love – 1965, #5, 7 weeks
3. Torture – 1965, #4, 5 weeks
4. I've got everything you need babe – 1966, #14, 7 weeks
5. Cold cold heart – 1967, #20, 2 weeks
6. Save the last dance for me – 1967, #12, 6 weeks
7. Wasted days and wasted nights – 1975, #16, 4 weeks
8. Shame on me – 1976, #10, 11 weeks
9. My life's in good hands (Jesus sweet Jesus) – 1978, #8, 16 weeks
10. Rosie – 1978, #14, 5 weeks
The song for which he will always be remembered is “Heart”, which is one of the bestselling songs in South Africa to this day. It would undoubtedly have gone to the top of the South African charts, but was released in early 1965, some months before the official Top 20 was launched.
This song was released on 7" single in 1984 and was taken from the album "Just For You" from the same year.
South African artist born on 27 December 1944 in Krugersdorp, near Johannesburg. When Gene was 18 months old, his parents moved to Durban. At the age of 15 he won his first talent competition at Durban’s “Little Top”. Still in his teens, he formed his first band, The Blue Angels, but in 1963 they changed their name to The Falcons. Gene played guitar and provided vocals for The Falcons. The rest of the band consisted of:
1. George Usher - lead guitar
2. Jannie Heynes - bass guitar
3. Clive Swegman - rhythm guitar
4. Frank Rickson - drums
In the late 1960s Gene decided to follow a solo career and became famous for the unique, emotional manner in which he interpreted any song, even the well-known ones. He had ten South African Top 20 hits:
1. Ciao – 1965, #4, 11 weeks
2. Love – 1965, #5, 7 weeks
3. Torture – 1965, #4, 5 weeks
4. I've got everything you need babe – 1966, #14, 7 weeks
5. Cold cold heart – 1967, #20, 2 weeks
6. Save the last dance for me – 1967, #12, 6 weeks
7. Wasted days and wasted nights – 1975, #16, 4 weeks
8. Shame on me – 1976, #10, 11 weeks
9. My life's in good hands (Jesus sweet Jesus) – 1978, #8, 16 weeks
10. Rosie – 1978, #14, 5 weeks
The song for which he will always be remembered is “Heart”, which is one of the bestselling songs in South Africa to this day. It would undoubtedly have gone to the top of the South African charts, but was released in early 1965, some months before the official Top 20 was launched.
This song was released on 7" single in 1984 and was taken from the album "Just For You" from the same year.
