American singer Gene Roman was born Roman Eugene Suchy on March 24, 1941, in Scobey, Montana. Later the family moved to California where Gene attended high school and began playing the guitar. In 1963 he recorded "Sad Sad love" / "Lovie Dovie" accompanied by the Tennesseans. Two of his compositions in the typical style of the time which well testify to his recording presence in the USA. He then filled his military service requirement. Later in the 1960s he would collaborate with the Bobby Fuller Four and would tour with Glen Campbell and with the New Christy Minstrels, at the time very famous also in Italy with the abbreviated name "Minstrels", thanks to their participations in the editions of the Sanremo Festival in 1965 and 1966.
He arrived in Italy directly from Thailand and settled in Rome, where for years he performed regularly (together with other musicians such as Don Hirst, Neil McFarlane, Ray Salsone and others) at the Red Banjo, a "historic" club in the capital, then very popular, which no longer exists since the end of the 1970s. His success led him to record two songs for the 1971 Spaghetti western “Trinity is Still My Name” followed by the main theme song for 1972’s “Man of the East”.
He continued to performance until his untimely death in Rome on February 12, 1977. During an evening at home with friends, a fire broke out. As the others rushed out, Gene lingered and went back to save something from the flames. This was fatal to him. The smoke was already thick and he collapsed, losing his life from asphyxiation. He was cremated in Rome and his remains brought back to California, where he is buried.
ROMAN, Gene (Roman
Eugene Suchy) [3/24/1941, Scobey, Montana, U.S.A. – 2/12/1977, Rome,
Lazio, Italy (asphyxiation)] – singer, member of the ‘New Christy Minstrels”.
Trinity is Still My
Name – 1971 [sings: “Trinity Stand Tall”, “Remember”]
Man of the East –
1972 [sings: “Don’t Lose Control”]
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