As popular as Gene became in the US, he was an even bigger hit in Great Britain, where he charted 22 top 40 hits (vs 16 in the US). In fact, as his career continued he found himself gravitating more and more to the UK, and spent some time with the Rolling Stones, eventually recording their tune, "That Girl Belongs to Yesterday." It was a hit in the UK but a disappointment in the US, and that might have foreshadowed the direction Gene's career was to take because as the years passed he continued to remain popular with British fans.
For many years he continued to draw well in live shows in the UK, and although his recording activity slowed down, he did hit the top of the British charts in 1989 with an update of a tune he'd originally recorded in the sixties, "Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart." He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of fame in 2002, and continued performing right up until his death in April 2006, the night after a show in Cardiff, Wales. He left behind a wife and three sons, and a solid musical legacy.
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