Which singer had a 1963 hit with the song 24 Hours from Tulsa?

The singer who had a 1963 hit with “Twenty Four Hours from Tulsa” was Gene Pitney.

Written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, the song tells of a traveler who stops near Tulsa, meets another woman, and abandons his journey home. Its dramatic story and shifting musical mood helped distinguish it from a straightforward romantic ballad.

Pitney released the single in October 1963. It reached No. 17 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and became an even bigger success in Britain, peaking at No. 5 in early 1964. The record helped establish him as an international pop star.

The title can cause confusion because several major singers were connected to the song’s musical world. Roy Orbison and Bobby Vee, for example, had their own links to songs written or associated with Pitney, but neither recorded the original hit version of this song. Pitney also wrote hits for other performers, including “Rubber Ball” for Bobby Vee.