bio via Wikipedia.com
Bill Medley is an American singer best known as one-half of The Righteous Brothers. He is noted for his bass-baritone voice, exemplified in songs such as “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin'”. Medley produced a number of the duo’s songs, including “Unchained Melody” and “(You’re My) Soul and Inspiration”.
Medley is also a solo artist. His million-selling No. 1 duet with Jennifer Warnes, “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” (1987), won a number of awards.
The Righteous Brothers performing at Knott’s Berry Farm with Medley on the right and Hatfield on the left
Medley first met his singing partner Bobby Hatfield through Barry Rillera who was in both Hatfield’s and Medley’s band (The Variations and the aforementioned Paramours, respectively) and asked them to see each other’s shows.[10] In 1962 they formed a new group, but kept the name The Paramours, which included saxophonist John Wimber, who went on to found The Vineyard Church movement. They performed at The Black Derby nightclub in Santa Ana,[10] and released the single “There She Goes (She’s Walking Away)” in December 1962 through independent record label Moonglow. However, the band did not have much success and soon broke up, leaving Hatfield and Medley to perform as a duo in 1963.
Medley and Hatfield adopted the name The Righteous Brothers, and their first single was the Medley-penned “Little Latin Lupe Lu,” released through Moonglow Records. Medley also recorded as a solo artist with Moonglow, releasing the single “Gotta Tell You How I Feel,” which did not chart.
In 1964, The Righteous Brothers appeared in a show with other groups at The Cow Palace in San Francisco, where Phil Spector was conducting the band for the entire show. Spector was impressed by the duo, and arranged to have them record for his label Philles Records.
In 1965 they had their first No. 1 hit, “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin'”, produced by Spector. According to music-publishing watchdog Broadcast Music, Inc., “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin'” is the most-played song in the history of American radio.
They recorded other songs such as “Unchained Melody” with Philles Records, as well. Medley, who had produced the duo before they signed with Spector and Philles, was the actual producer on many tracks and B-sides credited to Spector, including “Unchained Melody,” which was originally only intended to be an album track. On singles such as “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin'” and “Just Once in My Life,” the vocals were concentrated mainly on Medley, but on a few singles, such as “Unchained Melody” and “Ebb Tide,” Hatfield performed solo.
The duo left Spector in 1966 to sign with Verve Records, where they had a hit with “Soul and Inspiration”, but broke up in 1968 when Medley left to pursue his own career. Medley was performing three shows a night in Las Vegas; according to Medley, he found it too much of a strain on his voice singing solo, and lost his voice for a while. Under advice, he sought out Hatfield to reform The Righteous Brothers in 1974.
They signed with Haven Records, and quickly recorded “Rock and Roll Heaven,” which became a hit. In 1976, Medley decided to quit music for some time after the death of his first wife. He reunited with Hatfield in 1981 for the 30th-anniversary special of American Bandstand, where they performed an updated version of “Rock and Roll Heaven.” Although Medley focused his attention on his solo career in the 1980s, they continued to appear together as a duo.
After a resurgence in popularity in 1990s due to the use of “Unchained Melody” in the film Ghost, they toured extensively as a duo until Hatfield’s death in November 2003. The Righteous Brothers were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in March 2003 by Billy Joel.
In January 2016, Medley announced that he would revive The Righteous Brothers for the first time since 2003, partnering with new singer Bucky Heard.
After six decades of touring, in early 2024 Bill Medley announced his forthcoming retirement with the Righteous Brothers; Lovin’ Feelin’ Farewell Tour.