NAMES IN THE NEWS : ‘It’s True’: Writer Pumps Gas

Instead of staying up to watch the American Music Awards, Bill Pettaway set the timer on his videocassette recorder and dropped off to sleep. His slumber didn’t last long.

Toward the end of this week’s three-hour program, a caller woke him up to say that “Girl, You Know It’s True,” which he co-wrote for Milli Vanilli, had been named the pop-rock single of 1989.

A few hours later, after congratulatory calls from all over the world, the 29-year-old was back at his “day job,” pumping gasoline at a service station.

“The excitement’s over for me,” he said Wednesday, less than 48 hours after winning the award.

It was a typical reaction from Pettaway, who said the secret of his success is not to let success change him.

“I’ve been successful and happy my entire life, and even if I didn’t have a hit record, I’d still be happy,” he said.

Pettaway co-wrote “Girl, You Know It’s True” with Ky Adeyemo. Milli Vanilli’s version has sold 2.5 million copies worldwide.