Hiya,I am a 63yr old white gentleman here in the UK. I have seen a lot of reactions to these two fantastic singers by people of your age and you never cease to put a big smile on my face. Your beautiful face was a picture when you listened to their voices. It's crazy to me that singers from this era still seem to have this brilliant effect on people of your generation. Never stop in your musical adventure and once again, many thanks for your video 😊❤, take care Tony here in the UK
I love these guys. Bill has that deep bass/baritone sound. Bobby has that 4 octave counter-tenor. Together they make a unique, beautiful blend. My fvorite duo of all time.
My guys from the 60s. I was 15 yrs old when they came out in 1964. I have every vinyl record album they made. I'm 75 yrs old and still play their CD'S in my car. ❤️ ❤❤❤
Now you're finding the real gems. Keep digging into the old Shindig black & white videos but make sure they are the live versions and not the dubbed ones. You are in for a real treat now.
A most wonderful reaction 💐! I see 👁👁 that you have reacted to The Righteous Brothers before: (You’re My) Soul And Inspiration Live, Summertime Live, You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling Live, Unchained Melody Live, You'll Never Walk Alone Live, Rock And Roll Heaven Live and Brown Eyed Woman. Just Once In My Life was released as the lead single from The Righteous Brothers' 1965 album: Just Once In My Life. It was written by Gerry Goffin, Carole King and Phil Spector. It was produced by Phil Spector. The song reached #9 on the Hot 100. I believe that this live performance is from the ABC television show: Shindig!, on May 12, 1965. Their combined voices sound so good together...and as well as on their solo parts. The song is about a guy who will do anything to get the girl, but his case is flimsy and a little desperate: He's never gotten what he wants in life, so he's going to go all-out for her. What girl can't resist a guy with low ambition: "I don't foresee a rags to riches story for me", who will cling like Saran Wrap: "I couldn't face the day if you weren't here by my side". With Phil Spector producing, The Righteous Brothers had a huge hit with their song: "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'", which went to #1 in February 1965. That song Phil Spector wrote with Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, who were married. For the next single, Phil Spector enlisted another husband-and-wife songwriting duo: Gerry Goffin and Carole King. They had been working with Phil Spector for years. The trio came up with the song: "Just Once In My Life", and Phil Spector gave it his grand "wall of sound" production. It didn't do nearly as well as the group's previous single: "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'", but the song was still a substantial music chart and radio hit. The Beach Boys recorded the song for their 1976 song covers album: 15 Big Ones. It has also been covered by Carole King, The Action, The Allan Price Set and Arpeggio (Disco Band). There's a lot of things I want A lot of things that I'd like to be But girl, I don't foresee A rags to riches story for me There's just one little dream I've got to make come true There's just one round I've got to win I can't be a loser with you And baby, baby Just once in my life Let me get what I want Girl, don't let me down Just once in my life Let me hold on to The good thing I've found Don't let me down Baby, say that you'll be stayin' That old pot of gold Ain't so easy to find But if you'll stand by me Oh, girl, I'll keep peace of mind I can't give you the world (no, no, no) Oh, but I will work hard for you, girl (I'll work so hard, yeah) Honey, I will work hard (every day) All my life (you will see) If you won't leave me (baby, don't leave) Please don't leave me (baby, don't leave) Just do this for me, baby Once in my life Let me get what I want Girl, don't let me down Just once in my life Let me hold on to The good thing I've found Don't let me down Baby, say that you'll be stayin' Baby, say that you'll be stayin' Just once in my life The Righteous Brothers Info 📰: The Righteous Brothers are a musical duo originally formed by William "Bill" Thomas Medley and Robert "Bobby" Lee Hatfield in 1962-63, but now, in 2023, the group is comprised of Bill Medley and Bucky Heard. William "Bill" Thomas Medley was born on September 19, 1940 in Santa Ana, California .He attended Santa Ana High School, graduating in 1958. He sang in the church choir while growing up and his parents had a Swing band. He became interested in R&B music through listening to black-oriented radio stations. An early influence he has cited is Little Richard, who he first heard when he was fifteen or sixteen years old, and later Ray Charles, Bobby "Blue" Bland and B.B. King. Bill Medley first formed a singing duo called "The Romancers" with his friend Don Fiduccia, who also played the guitar. He began to write songs and record multi-track recordings in his own living room. At 19, he had two songs: "Womaling" and "Chimes Of My Heart," recorded by vocal group "The Diamonds". Bill Medley and Don Fiduccia then formed a group called "The Paramours" in 1960, with Sal Fasulo and Nick Tuturro, later joined by Bobby Hatfield, Mike Rider and Barry Rillera. The band had its first paying gig at Little Italy restaurant in Anaheim, California. "The Paramours" were signed to Mercury Records' subsidiary label Smash Records, releasing such songs including: "That's The Way We Love" and "Miss Social Climber", in 1961. Robert "Bobby" Lee Hatfield was born on August 10, 1940 in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin but grew up in Anaheim, California. He attended Anaheim High School, where he played football and baseball, and was co-captain of the basketball team. He was student body president in the 1957-1958 school year, graduating in 1958. He briefly considered signing as a professional ballplayer, but his passion for music led him to pursue a singing career while still attending high school. He attended Fullerton College. He eventually encountered his singing partner, Bill Medley, while attending California State University, Long Beach. He is an alumnus of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. He passed away on November 5, 2003 in Kalamazoo, Michigan at the age of 63. Bill Medley formed the group with Bobby Hatfield in 1963. They had first performed together in 1962 in the Los Angeles area as part of a five-member group called "The Paramours", and adopted the name The Righteous Brothers when they became a duo. They were often told that they sounded like African-American Gospel singers and chose the group name after some black Marines remarked of their singing: "that's righteous, brothers", and called them, "righteous brothers". Their most active recording period was in the 1960s and 1970s, and, after several years inactive as a duo, Bobby Hatfield and Bill Medley reunited in 1981 and continued to perform until Bobby Hatfield's death in 2003. The music they performed is sometimes dubbed "Blue-Eyed Soul". Bobby Hatfield and Bill Medley had contrasting vocal ranges, which helped them create a distinctive sound as a duet. They each had the vocal talent to perform as soloists. Bill Medley sang the low parts with his bass-baritone voice, with Bobby Hatfield taking the higher-register vocals with his tenor. His voice reached the register of a countertenor. Following a year and a half of Top 40 non-entries on Billboard's Hot 100, the duo hit big with the late-1964 release of what would become their signature record: "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'", a transatlantic number one hit song produced by Phil Spector, often considered one of his finest works and a landmark recording in popular music. Other notable hits include three US 1965 Top Tens - "Just Once In My Life" and covers of "Unchained Melody" (also a huge hit in 1990 after being featured in the film Ghost) and "Ebb Tide" - and the massive US 1966 number one "(You're My) Soul And Inspiration", plus the 1974 comeback hit "Rock And Roll Heaven". Both Bobby Hatfield and Bill Medley split up in February 1968, a breakup that would last for more than six years, when Bill Medley left to pursue a solo career. Bill Medley recorded a few solo recordings on several different record labels, while Bobby Hatfield teamed up with singer Jimmy Walker (from The Knickerbockers) using The Righteous Brothers name on the MGM Records record label releasing the album: Re-Birth, in 1969. In 1972, Bill Medley was nominated for Best Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist in the 1972 Grammy Awards for his recording of the song: "Freedom And Fear", a track from Michel Colombier's album: Wings. Bill Medley has released 14 solo albums between 1968 and 2007. While Bobby Hatfield released one solo album in 1971. *****CONTINUE BELOW*****
In 1974, Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield announced their reunion at an appearance on The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour television show. They signed with Haven Records, and within a few weeks of reforming, they recorded their comeback song: "Rock And Roll Heaven", a paean to several deceased Rock singers which became a hit, peaking at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. Several more minor hits on Haven Records followed. After 1975, however, The Righteous Brothers would not appear on music charts except for re-releases of older songs and compilation albums, some of which were re-recordings of earlier works. Between 1976 and 1981, Hatfield and Medley stopped performing as a duo after the death of Medley's first wife, as he wanted time off to look after his son. They reunited for an anniversary special on American Bandstand in 1981 to perform an updated version of the song: "Rock And Roll Heaven". They resumed touring intermittently, and they recorded a 21st Anniversary Celebration concert in 1983 at the Roxy on the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles, which was later released on video and was also aired on television. In the late 1970s, Bill Medley once again began to record as a solo artist and had some success in the 1980s. In 1984, he scored country hits with the songs: "Till Your Memory's Gone" and "I Still Do", the latter also an Adult-Contemporary music chart crossover hit. In late 1987, his duet with Jennifer Warnes: "(I've Had) The Time Of My Life", which appeared on the soundtrack for the 1987 film: Dirty Dancing, topped the Billboard Hot 100. It won them a Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. In 1990, Bobby Hatfield's original recording of the song: "Unchained Melody", was featured in the popular 1990 film: Ghost, starring Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore. It triggered an avalanche of requests to Top 40 radio stations by fans who had seen the movie to play the 1965 Righteous Brothers' song recording. This motivated Polygram records to re-release the song to Top 40 radio. It became a major hit for a second time, reaching No. 13 on the Hot 100 in 1990. It also became their second No. 1 in the UK. The duo quickly re-recorded another version of the song: "Unchained Melody", for Curb Records. The re-recorded version of the song: "Unchained Melody", hit No. 19 on the Hot 100 and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). They also re-recorded other songs for a 1990 compilation album: The Best Of The Righteous Brothers, released by Curb Records. Bill Medley would later describe the re-recordings as "artistically, a stupid idea; financially, a wonderfully idea". The album sold very well and received a double platinum certification from the RIAA. A greatest hits album collection of the original recordings called: The Very Best of The Righteous Brothers...Unchained Melody, was released later in 1990 by Polydor Records. This compilation album also became their first entry in the UK album chart. They began to tour extensively all through the 1990s and early 2000s and performed for about 12 weeks a year in Las Vegas. Bobby Hatfield 🙏 was found unresponsive in his hotel room in Kalamazoo, Michigan, on November 5, 2003. He was found in the hotel room by Bill Medley and The Righteous Brothers' road manager Dusty Hanvey shortly after he missed a scheduled performance with Bill Medley at Western Michigan University's Miller Auditorium. The autopsy report attributed his death to heart failure brought on by cocaine usage and advanced coronary disease. Bill Medley continued to perform as a solo artist for some time after Bobby Hatfield's passing, occasionally singing with a screen projection of old film footage of Bobby Hatfield. In 2016, Bill Medley re-formed The Righteous Brothers with Bucky Heard (born on July 14, 1965 in Dadeville, Alabama), an Auburn University graduate and established entertainer/performer. They performed at Las Vegas's Harrah's Showroom for more than 40 shows from March 23, 2016, to November 8, 2016. Bucky Heard has since communicated that he knows he can never replace Bobby Hatfield, nor will he attempt to do so and that he intends to sing like Hatfield rather than sound like him. They would later release an album called: The Righteous Brothers, in 2016, featuring several of The Righteous Brothers' hit singles sung by Bill Medley and Bucky Heard. In 2020, former group member Jimmy Walker 🙏passed away at his home in California at the age of 79. No cause of death has been reported. The Righteous Brothers were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003 and into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2005. In 2015, Rolling Stone ranked them no. 16 on its list of the 20 Greatest Duos of All Time. The Righteous Brothers still perform their music live on stage in 2023. The Righteous Brothers Group Members (*Original Member) 👨🎤👨🎤👨🎤👨🎤: Current Members *Bill Medley (1962-1968, 1974-1976, 1981-2003, 2016-present) Bucky Heard (2016-present) Former Members *Bobby Hatfield (1962-1971, 1974-1976, 1981-2003; passed away in 2003) Jimmy Walker (1968-1971; passed away in 2020) The Righteous Brothers Albums 📀: Right Now! (1963) Some Blue-Eyed Soul (1964) This Is New! (1965) You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling (1965) Just Once In My Life.. (1965) Back To Back (1965) Soul & Inspiration (1966) Go Ahead And Cry (1966) Sayin' Something (1967) Souled Out (1967) One For The Road (1968) Re-Birth as Bobby Hatfield & Jimmy Walker (1969) Give It To The People (1974) Sons Of Mrs Righteous (1975) The Righteous Brothers as Bill Medley & Bucky Heard (2016) Bobby Hatfield Albums 📀: Messin' In Muscle Shoals (1971) Jimmy Walker Albums (w/ The Knickerbockers) 📀: Lloyd Thaxton Presents The Knickerbockers (1965) Lies (1966) Jerk & Twine Time (1966) The Great Lost Knickerbockers Album (1989) Bill Medley Albums 📀: Bill Medley 100% (1968) Soft And Soulful (1969) Gone (1970) Someone Is Standing Outside (1970) A Song For You (1971) Smile (1973) Lay A Little Lovin' On Me (1978) Sweet Thunder (1981) Right Here And Now (1982) I Still Do (1983) Still Hung Up On You (1985) The Best Of Bill Medley (1988) Going Home (1993) Christmas Memories (1996) Almost Home (1997) "Your Heart To Mine" Dedicated To The Blues (2004) Damn Near Righteous (2007) ****CONTINUE BELOW****
Some more good Bill Medley songs 🎶: (I've Had) The Time Of My Life, He Ain't Heavy He's My Brother, Let The Good Times Roll, You Don't Have To Say You Love Me, Run To My Loving Arms, You're Nobody 'Til Somebody Loves You, I Can't Make It Alone, The Quest (The Impossible Dream), That's Life, One Day Girl, Show Me, Goin' Out Of My Head, I'm Gonna Be Strong, Evie, Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me), Peace Brother Peace, 100 Years, Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye, I'm Gonna Die Me, For Your Precious Love, Softly As I Leave You, My Way, Love Me Tender, When Something Is Wrong With My Baby, Reaching Back, Street Of Dirt, Something's So Wrong, Any Day Now, Winter Won't Come This Year, Hey Jude, See That Girl, Didn't We, Little Green Apples, Yesterday, Let Me Love Again, A Change Is Gonna Come, Blowin' In The Wind, Someone Is Standing Outside, For Once In My Life, Nobody Knows, Let It Be, Bridge Over Troubled Water, This Is A Love Song, Hung On You, There's A Spirit, Go Away Now, Something, If This Were The Last Song, Damn Good Friend, A Song For You, Somewhere, We've Only Just Begun, The Long And Winding Road, So Much Love, Hello Rock N' Roll, Wasn't It Easy, A Long Way To Go, Oh Me Oh My (I'm A Fool For You Baby), All My Love's Laughter, Rock N' Roll Loser, It's Not Easy, Put A Little Love Away, The Greatest Performance Of My Life, One Hit Song, Don't Know Much, Statue Of A Fool, Let's Fall In Love All Over Again, Smile, Rock And Roll Man, Ain't That A Shame, Why Don't We Go Somewhere And Love, Maybe It's Not Over, Nothin' Left To Lose, Grandma And Grandpa, Lay A Little Lovin' On Me, Songwriter, Until The Night, Woman, Let Me Love Again, Stay The Night, Love Love Love, Wasn't That You Last Night, Right Here And Now, I'm No Angel, For You, Heart And Soul, Please Come Home, Almost All The Way To Love, I Need You In My Life, Till Your Memory's Gone, I Still Do, You Gave The World To Me, I've Always Got The Heart To Sing The Blues, Learning To Love Again, Turn It Loose, I've Got Dreams To Remember, The Best Of My Life, If You Remember Me, Hey Girl, Is There Anything I Can Do, Still Hung Up On You, Women In Love, Stand Up, Old Friend, I'll Be Home For Christmas, Love Won't Let Me Quit, She Keeps Me In One Piece, Almost Home, The Christmas Song, Burning Deeper, Grown-Up Christmas List, I Believe, Live For Thee, Love Can Change, You'll Never Walk Alone, Love's The Power, One Of Those Nights, Precious Lord, There's A Spirit, Going Home, Drowned In My Own Tears, I Wanna Make Love To You, Rock Me Baby, You're The One, Rock My Baby, Pledging My Love, Hold On I'm Comin', What You Want Me To Do, This Magic Moment, I've Been Lovin You Too Long, California Goodbye, Hurt City, Beautiful, This Will Be The Last Time, I'll Find Someone Who Will, Two Lives, Just Like A Woman, Sit Down & Hurt, In My Room, Lonely Avenue, Trick Bag and Something Blue. Some more good songs by The Righteous Brothers 🎶: This Little Girl Of Mine, Po' Folks, A Man Without A Dream, Ebb Tide, Hung On You, Little Latin Lupe Lu, My Babe, If You're Lying You'll Be Crying, He, The White Cliffs Of Dover, On This Side Of Goodbye, I Just Want To Make Love To You, Ko Ko Joe, Go Ahead And Cry, See That Girl, Try To Find Another Man, Hang Ups, Bring Your Love To Me, Stranded In The Middle Of No Place, You Can Have Her, Love Or Magic, Justine, Georgia On My Mind, Melancholy Music Man, Hot Tamales, I Can't Make It Alone, He Will Break Your Heart, For Sentimental Reasons, Let It Be Me, Give It To The People, The Angels Listened In, Dream On, You Are My Sunshine, Late Late Night, I Just Wanna Be Me, There She Goes (She's Walking Away), Gotta Tell You How I Feel, The Blues, I Need A Girl, Fannie Mae, Sick And Tired, Hey Girl, Rat Race, In That Great Gettin' Up Mornin', I'm So Lonely, There's A Woman, Good N' Nuff, High Blood Pressure, I Who Have Nothing, Been So Nice, Fee-Fi-Fidily-I-O, B-Flat Blues, I Still Love You, My Tears Will Go Away, Island In The Sun, Bring Your Love To Me, Things Didn't Go Your Way, Over And Over, Along Came Jones, Stand By, Let The Good Times Roll, What'd I Say, Old Man River, She's Mine All Mine, What Now My Love, Oo-Poo-Pah-Do, Jimmy's Blues, Don't Give Up On Me, Love Is Not A Dirty Word, And The Party Goes On, Sticks And Stones, Woman Man Needs Ya, God Bless The Child, Big Boy Pete, Big Time Ben, So Many Lonely Nights Ahead, Burn On Love, The Great Pretender, Brown Eyed Woman, Dr Rock And Roll, Hallelujah I Love Her So, Baby What You Want Me To Do, Cryin' Blues, You'll Never Walk Alone, I Believe, Night Owl, Change Is Goin' To Come, Together Again, If I Ruled The World, Substitute, Guess Who?, Turn On Your Love Lights, Stagger Lee, Bring It On Home, Something's Got A Hold On Me, Put A Little Love In Your Heart, Come Rain Or Come Shine, I've Got The Beat, Harlem Shuffle, Look At Me, Love Keeps Callin' My Name, Soul City, Young Blood, Soulville, Along Came Jones, Lighten Up, Fare Ye Well, Nobody's Gonna Take Me (To This Feelin'), Swing Low Sweet Chariot, Born On The Bayou, Let Me Make The Music, That Lucky Old Sun (Just Rolls Around Heaven All Day), One Summer Night, Hold On (To What You Got), Cherry Pie, Earth Angel and Save The Last Dance For Me. Fun Fact 🕵♂: In 1985, Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield opened a Rock & Roll-themed nightclub called: The Hop, and later called: Medley's, in Orange County, California. It was sold in 1993.
Some reactions to consider 🤔: Daryl Hall & John Oates- You Make My Dreams (Official HD Video), The Jacksons- Enjoy Yourself (Official Video) or The Doobie Brothers- Black Water (Official Music Video).
Hiya,I am a 63yr old white gentleman here in the UK. I have seen a lot of reactions to these two fantastic singers by people of your age and you never cease to put a big smile on my face. Your beautiful face was a picture when you listened to their voices. It's crazy to me that singers from this era still seem to have this brilliant effect on people of your generation. Never stop in your musical adventure and once again, many thanks for your video 😊❤, take care Tony here in the UK
I love these guys. Bill has that deep bass/baritone sound. Bobby has that 4 octave counter-tenor. Together they make a unique, beautiful blend. My fvorite duo of all time.
My guys from the 60s. I was 15 yrs old when they came out in 1964. I have every vinyl record album they made. I'm 75 yrs old and still play their CD'S in my car. ❤️ ❤❤❤
🌹❤️
Now you're finding the real gems. Keep digging into the old Shindig black & white videos but make sure they are the live versions and not the dubbed ones. You are in for a real treat now.
A most wonderful reaction 💐! I see 👁👁 that you have reacted to The Righteous Brothers before: (You’re My) Soul And Inspiration Live, Summertime Live, You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling Live, Unchained Melody Live, You'll Never Walk Alone Live, Rock And Roll Heaven Live and Brown Eyed Woman. Just Once In My Life was released as the lead single from The Righteous Brothers' 1965 album: Just Once In My Life. It was written by Gerry Goffin, Carole King and Phil Spector. It was produced by Phil Spector. The song reached #9 on the Hot 100. I believe that this live performance is from the ABC television show: Shindig!, on May 12, 1965. Their combined voices sound so good together...and as well as on their solo parts.
The song is about a guy who will do anything to get the girl, but his case is flimsy and a little desperate: He's never gotten what he wants in life, so he's going to go all-out for her. What girl can't resist a guy with low ambition: "I don't foresee a rags to riches story for me", who will cling like Saran Wrap: "I couldn't face the day if you weren't here by my side".
With Phil Spector producing, The Righteous Brothers had a huge hit with their song: "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'", which went to #1 in February 1965. That song Phil Spector wrote with Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, who were married. For the next single, Phil Spector enlisted another husband-and-wife songwriting duo: Gerry Goffin and Carole King. They had been working with Phil Spector for years. The trio came up with the song: "Just Once In My Life", and Phil Spector gave it his grand "wall of sound" production. It didn't do nearly as well as the group's previous single: "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'", but the song was still a substantial music chart and radio hit.
The Beach Boys recorded the song for their 1976 song covers album: 15 Big Ones. It has also been covered by Carole King, The Action, The Allan Price Set and Arpeggio (Disco Band).
There's a lot of things I want
A lot of things that I'd like to be
But girl, I don't foresee
A rags to riches story for me
There's just one little dream
I've got to make come true
There's just one round I've got to win
I can't be a loser with you
And baby, baby
Just once in my life
Let me get what I want
Girl, don't let me down
Just once in my life
Let me hold on to
The good thing I've found
Don't let me down
Baby, say that you'll be stayin'
That old pot of gold
Ain't so easy to find
But if you'll stand by me
Oh, girl, I'll keep peace of mind
I can't give you the world (no, no, no)
Oh, but I will work hard for you, girl (I'll work so hard, yeah)
Honey, I will work hard (every day)
All my life (you will see)
If you won't leave me (baby, don't leave)
Please don't leave me (baby, don't leave)
Just do this for me, baby
Once in my life
Let me get what I want
Girl, don't let me down
Just once in my life
Let me hold on to
The good thing I've found
Don't let me down
Baby, say that you'll be stayin'
Baby, say that you'll be stayin'
Just once in my life
The Righteous Brothers Info 📰:
The Righteous Brothers are a musical duo originally formed by William "Bill" Thomas Medley and Robert "Bobby" Lee Hatfield in 1962-63, but now, in 2023, the group is comprised of Bill Medley and Bucky Heard.
William "Bill" Thomas Medley was born on September 19, 1940 in Santa Ana, California .He attended Santa Ana High School, graduating in 1958. He sang in the church choir while growing up and his parents had a Swing band. He became interested in R&B music through listening to black-oriented radio stations. An early influence he has cited is Little Richard, who he first heard when he was fifteen or sixteen years old, and later Ray Charles, Bobby "Blue" Bland and B.B. King.
Bill Medley first formed a singing duo called "The Romancers" with his friend Don Fiduccia, who also played the guitar. He began to write songs and record multi-track recordings in his own living room. At 19, he had two songs: "Womaling" and "Chimes Of My Heart," recorded by vocal group "The Diamonds". Bill Medley and Don Fiduccia then formed a group called "The Paramours" in 1960, with Sal Fasulo and Nick Tuturro, later joined by Bobby Hatfield, Mike Rider and Barry Rillera. The band had its first paying gig at Little Italy restaurant in Anaheim, California. "The Paramours" were signed to Mercury Records' subsidiary label Smash Records, releasing such songs including: "That's The Way We Love" and "Miss Social Climber", in 1961.
Robert "Bobby" Lee Hatfield was born on August 10, 1940 in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin but grew up in Anaheim, California. He attended Anaheim High School, where he played football and baseball, and was co-captain of the basketball team. He was student body president in the 1957-1958 school year, graduating in 1958. He briefly considered signing as a professional ballplayer, but his passion for music led him to pursue a singing career while still attending high school. He attended Fullerton College. He eventually encountered his singing partner, Bill Medley, while attending California State University, Long Beach. He is an alumnus of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. He passed away on November 5, 2003 in Kalamazoo, Michigan at the age of 63.
Bill Medley formed the group with Bobby Hatfield in 1963. They had first performed together in 1962 in the Los Angeles area as part of a five-member group called "The Paramours", and adopted the name The Righteous Brothers when they became a duo. They were often told that they sounded like African-American Gospel singers and chose the group name after some black Marines remarked of their singing: "that's righteous, brothers", and called them, "righteous brothers". Their most active recording period was in the 1960s and 1970s, and, after several years inactive as a duo, Bobby Hatfield and Bill Medley reunited in 1981 and continued to perform until Bobby Hatfield's death in 2003. The music they performed is sometimes dubbed "Blue-Eyed Soul".
Bobby Hatfield and Bill Medley had contrasting vocal ranges, which helped them create a distinctive sound as a duet. They each had the vocal talent to perform as soloists. Bill Medley sang the low parts with his bass-baritone voice, with Bobby Hatfield taking the higher-register vocals with his tenor. His voice reached the register of a countertenor.
Following a year and a half of Top 40 non-entries on Billboard's Hot 100, the duo hit big with the late-1964 release of what would become their signature record: "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'", a transatlantic number one hit song produced by Phil Spector, often considered one of his finest works and a landmark recording in popular music. Other notable hits include three US 1965 Top Tens - "Just Once In My Life" and covers of "Unchained Melody" (also a huge hit in 1990 after being featured in the film Ghost) and "Ebb Tide" - and the massive US 1966 number one "(You're My) Soul And Inspiration", plus the 1974 comeback hit "Rock And Roll Heaven".
Both Bobby Hatfield and Bill Medley split up in February 1968, a breakup that would last for more than six years, when Bill Medley left to pursue a solo career. Bill Medley recorded a few solo recordings on several different record labels, while Bobby Hatfield teamed up with singer Jimmy Walker (from The Knickerbockers) using The Righteous Brothers name on the MGM Records record label releasing the album: Re-Birth, in 1969. In 1972, Bill Medley was nominated for Best Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist in the 1972 Grammy Awards for his recording of the song: "Freedom And Fear", a track from Michel Colombier's album: Wings. Bill Medley has released 14 solo albums between 1968 and 2007. While Bobby Hatfield released one solo album in 1971.
*****CONTINUE BELOW*****
In 1974, Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield announced their reunion at an appearance on The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour television show. They signed with Haven Records, and within a few weeks of reforming, they recorded their comeback song: "Rock And Roll Heaven", a paean to several deceased Rock singers which became a hit, peaking at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. Several more minor hits on Haven Records followed. After 1975, however, The Righteous Brothers would not appear on music charts except for re-releases of older songs and compilation albums, some of which were re-recordings of earlier works.
Between 1976 and 1981, Hatfield and Medley stopped performing as a duo after the death of Medley's first wife, as he wanted time off to look after his son. They reunited for an anniversary special on American Bandstand in 1981 to perform an updated version of the song: "Rock And Roll Heaven". They resumed touring intermittently, and they recorded a 21st Anniversary Celebration concert in 1983 at the Roxy on the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles, which was later released on video and was also aired on television.
In the late 1970s, Bill Medley once again began to record as a solo artist and had some success in the 1980s. In 1984, he scored country hits with the songs: "Till Your Memory's Gone" and "I Still Do", the latter also an Adult-Contemporary music chart crossover hit. In late 1987, his duet with Jennifer Warnes: "(I've Had) The Time Of My Life", which appeared on the soundtrack for the 1987 film: Dirty Dancing, topped the Billboard Hot 100. It won them a Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.
In 1990, Bobby Hatfield's original recording of the song: "Unchained Melody", was featured in the popular 1990 film: Ghost, starring Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore. It triggered an avalanche of requests to Top 40 radio stations by fans who had seen the movie to play the 1965 Righteous Brothers' song recording. This motivated Polygram records to re-release the song to Top 40 radio. It became a major hit for a second time, reaching No. 13 on the Hot 100 in 1990. It also became their second No. 1 in the UK. The duo quickly re-recorded another version of the song: "Unchained Melody", for Curb Records. The re-recorded version of the song: "Unchained Melody", hit No. 19 on the Hot 100 and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
They also re-recorded other songs for a 1990 compilation album: The Best Of The Righteous Brothers, released by Curb Records. Bill Medley would later describe the re-recordings as "artistically, a stupid idea; financially, a wonderfully idea". The album sold very well and received a double platinum certification from the RIAA. A greatest hits album collection of the original recordings called: The Very Best of The Righteous Brothers...Unchained Melody, was released later in 1990 by Polydor Records. This compilation album also became their first entry in the UK album chart. They began to tour extensively all through the 1990s and early 2000s and performed for about 12 weeks a year in Las Vegas.
Bobby Hatfield 🙏 was found unresponsive in his hotel room in Kalamazoo, Michigan, on November 5, 2003. He was found in the hotel room by Bill Medley and The Righteous Brothers' road manager Dusty Hanvey shortly after he missed a scheduled performance with Bill Medley at Western Michigan University's Miller Auditorium. The autopsy report attributed his death to heart failure brought on by cocaine usage and advanced coronary disease. Bill Medley continued to perform as a solo artist for some time after Bobby Hatfield's passing, occasionally singing with a screen projection of old film footage of Bobby Hatfield.
In 2016, Bill Medley re-formed The Righteous Brothers with Bucky Heard (born on July 14, 1965 in Dadeville, Alabama), an Auburn University graduate and established entertainer/performer. They performed at Las Vegas's Harrah's Showroom for more than 40 shows from March 23, 2016, to November 8, 2016. Bucky Heard has since communicated that he knows he can never replace Bobby Hatfield, nor will he attempt to do so and that he intends to sing like Hatfield rather than sound like him. They would later release an album called: The Righteous Brothers, in 2016, featuring several of The Righteous Brothers' hit singles sung by Bill Medley and Bucky Heard.
In 2020, former group member Jimmy Walker 🙏passed away at his home in California at the age of 79. No cause of death has been reported.
The Righteous Brothers were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003 and into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2005. In 2015, Rolling Stone ranked them no. 16 on its list of the 20 Greatest Duos of All Time. The Righteous Brothers still perform their music live on stage in 2023.
The Righteous Brothers Group Members (*Original Member) 👨🎤👨🎤👨🎤👨🎤:
Current Members
*Bill Medley (1962-1968, 1974-1976, 1981-2003, 2016-present)
Bucky Heard (2016-present)
Former Members
*Bobby Hatfield (1962-1971, 1974-1976, 1981-2003; passed away in 2003)
Jimmy Walker (1968-1971; passed away in 2020)
The Righteous Brothers Albums 📀:
Right Now! (1963)
Some Blue-Eyed Soul (1964)
This Is New! (1965)
You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling (1965)
Just Once In My Life.. (1965)
Back To Back (1965)
Soul & Inspiration (1966)
Go Ahead And Cry (1966)
Sayin' Something (1967)
Souled Out (1967)
One For The Road (1968)
Re-Birth as Bobby Hatfield & Jimmy Walker (1969)
Give It To The People (1974)
Sons Of Mrs Righteous (1975)
The Righteous Brothers as Bill Medley & Bucky Heard (2016)
Bobby Hatfield Albums 📀:
Messin' In Muscle Shoals (1971)
Jimmy Walker Albums (w/ The Knickerbockers) 📀:
Lloyd Thaxton Presents The Knickerbockers (1965)
Lies (1966)
Jerk & Twine Time (1966)
The Great Lost Knickerbockers Album (1989)
Bill Medley Albums 📀:
Bill Medley 100% (1968)
Soft And Soulful (1969)
Gone (1970)
Someone Is Standing Outside (1970)
A Song For You (1971)
Smile (1973)
Lay A Little Lovin' On Me (1978)
Sweet Thunder (1981)
Right Here And Now (1982)
I Still Do (1983)
Still Hung Up On You (1985)
The Best Of Bill Medley (1988)
Going Home (1993)
Christmas Memories (1996)
Almost Home (1997)
"Your Heart To Mine" Dedicated To The Blues (2004)
Damn Near Righteous (2007)
****CONTINUE BELOW****
Some more good Bill Medley songs 🎶: (I've Had) The Time Of My Life, He Ain't Heavy He's My Brother, Let The Good Times Roll, You Don't Have To Say You Love Me, Run To My Loving Arms, You're Nobody 'Til Somebody Loves You, I Can't Make It Alone, The Quest (The Impossible Dream), That's Life, One Day Girl, Show Me, Goin' Out Of My Head, I'm Gonna Be Strong, Evie, Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me), Peace Brother Peace, 100 Years, Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye, I'm Gonna Die Me, For Your Precious Love, Softly As I Leave You, My Way, Love Me Tender, When Something Is Wrong With My Baby, Reaching Back, Street Of Dirt, Something's So Wrong, Any Day Now, Winter Won't Come This Year, Hey Jude, See That Girl, Didn't We, Little Green Apples, Yesterday, Let Me Love Again, A Change Is Gonna Come, Blowin' In The Wind, Someone Is Standing Outside, For Once In My Life, Nobody Knows, Let It Be, Bridge Over Troubled Water, This Is A Love Song, Hung On You, There's A Spirit, Go Away Now, Something, If This Were The Last Song, Damn Good Friend, A Song For You, Somewhere, We've Only Just Begun, The Long And Winding Road, So Much Love, Hello Rock N' Roll, Wasn't It Easy, A Long Way To Go, Oh Me Oh My (I'm A Fool For You Baby), All My Love's Laughter, Rock N' Roll Loser, It's Not Easy, Put A Little Love Away, The Greatest Performance Of My Life, One Hit Song, Don't Know Much, Statue Of A Fool, Let's Fall In Love All Over Again, Smile, Rock And Roll Man, Ain't That A Shame, Why Don't We Go Somewhere And Love, Maybe It's Not Over, Nothin' Left To Lose, Grandma And Grandpa, Lay A Little Lovin' On Me, Songwriter, Until The Night, Woman, Let Me Love Again, Stay The Night, Love Love Love, Wasn't That You Last Night, Right Here And Now, I'm No Angel, For You, Heart And Soul, Please Come Home, Almost All The Way To Love, I Need You In My Life, Till Your Memory's Gone, I Still Do, You Gave The World To Me, I've Always Got The Heart To Sing The Blues, Learning To Love Again, Turn It Loose, I've Got Dreams To Remember, The Best Of My Life, If You Remember Me, Hey Girl, Is There Anything I Can Do, Still Hung Up On You, Women In Love, Stand Up, Old Friend, I'll Be Home For Christmas, Love Won't Let Me Quit, She Keeps Me In One Piece, Almost Home, The Christmas Song, Burning Deeper, Grown-Up Christmas List, I Believe, Live For Thee, Love Can Change, You'll Never Walk Alone, Love's The Power, One Of Those Nights, Precious Lord, There's A Spirit, Going Home, Drowned In My Own Tears, I Wanna Make Love To You, Rock Me Baby, You're The One, Rock My Baby, Pledging My Love, Hold On I'm Comin', What You Want Me To Do, This Magic Moment, I've Been Lovin You Too Long, California Goodbye, Hurt City, Beautiful, This Will Be The Last Time, I'll Find Someone Who Will, Two Lives, Just Like A Woman, Sit Down & Hurt, In My Room, Lonely Avenue, Trick Bag and Something Blue.
Some more good songs by The Righteous Brothers 🎶: This Little Girl Of Mine, Po' Folks, A Man Without A Dream, Ebb Tide, Hung On You, Little Latin Lupe Lu, My Babe, If You're Lying You'll Be Crying, He, The White Cliffs Of Dover, On This Side Of Goodbye, I Just Want To Make Love To You, Ko Ko Joe, Go Ahead And Cry, See That Girl, Try To Find Another Man, Hang Ups, Bring Your Love To Me, Stranded In The Middle Of No Place, You Can Have Her, Love Or Magic, Justine, Georgia On My Mind, Melancholy Music Man, Hot Tamales, I Can't Make It Alone, He Will Break Your Heart, For Sentimental Reasons, Let It Be Me, Give It To The People, The Angels Listened In, Dream On, You Are My Sunshine, Late Late Night, I Just Wanna Be Me, There She Goes (She's Walking Away), Gotta Tell You How I Feel, The Blues, I Need A Girl, Fannie Mae, Sick And Tired, Hey Girl, Rat Race, In That Great Gettin' Up Mornin', I'm So Lonely, There's A Woman, Good N' Nuff, High Blood Pressure, I Who Have Nothing, Been So Nice, Fee-Fi-Fidily-I-O, B-Flat Blues, I Still Love You, My Tears Will Go Away, Island In The Sun, Bring Your Love To Me, Things Didn't Go Your Way, Over And Over, Along Came Jones, Stand By, Let The Good Times Roll, What'd I Say, Old Man River, She's Mine All Mine, What Now My Love, Oo-Poo-Pah-Do, Jimmy's Blues, Don't Give Up On Me, Love Is Not A Dirty Word, And The Party Goes On, Sticks And Stones, Woman Man Needs Ya, God Bless The Child, Big Boy Pete, Big Time Ben, So Many Lonely Nights Ahead, Burn On Love, The Great Pretender, Brown Eyed Woman, Dr Rock And Roll, Hallelujah I Love Her So, Baby What You Want Me To Do, Cryin' Blues, You'll Never Walk Alone, I Believe, Night Owl, Change Is Goin' To Come, Together Again, If I Ruled The World, Substitute, Guess Who?, Turn On Your Love Lights, Stagger Lee, Bring It On Home, Something's Got A Hold On Me, Put A Little Love In Your Heart, Come Rain Or Come Shine, I've Got The Beat, Harlem Shuffle, Look At Me, Love Keeps Callin' My Name, Soul City, Young Blood, Soulville, Along Came Jones, Lighten Up, Fare Ye Well, Nobody's Gonna Take Me (To This Feelin'), Swing Low Sweet Chariot, Born On The Bayou, Let Me Make The Music, That Lucky Old Sun (Just Rolls Around Heaven All Day), One Summer Night, Hold On (To What You Got), Cherry Pie, Earth Angel and Save The Last Dance For Me.
Fun Fact 🕵♂: In 1985, Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield opened a Rock & Roll-themed nightclub called: The Hop, and later called: Medley's, in Orange County, California. It was sold in 1993.
Some reactions to consider 🤔: Daryl Hall & John Oates- You Make My Dreams (Official HD Video), The Jacksons- Enjoy Yourself (Official Video) or The Doobie Brothers- Black Water (Official Music Video).