Wikipedia

Bill Medley

William Thomas Medley(born September 19, 1940) is an American singer best known as one-half ofThe Righteous Brothers.He is noted for hisbass-baritonevoice, 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".

Bill Medley
Medley in 2012 at The Big E, West Springfield, Massachusetts
Medley in 2012 atThe Big E,West Springfield, Massachusetts
Background information
Birth nameWilliam Thomas Medley
Born(1940-09-19)September 19, 1940(age 84)
Santa Ana, California,U.S.[1]
OriginLos Angeles, California,U.S.[1]
GenresBlue-eyed soul
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
Years active1962–present
LabelsUnited Artists,RCA Records,Reprise Records,Curb Records
Websitehttps://righteousbrothers.com/

Medley is also a solo artist. His million-selling No. 1 duet withJennifer Warnes,"(I've Had) The Time of My Life"(1987), won a number of awards.

Early life

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Medley was born September 19, 1940, inSanta Ana, Californiato Arnold and Irma Medley.[1][2]He attendedSanta Ana High School,graduating in 1958.[3]Raised aPresbyterian,he sang in the church choir,[4]and his parents had a swing band.[5]He became interested inR&B musicthrough listening to black-oriented radio stations.[4]An early influence he has cited isLittle Richard,who he first heard when he was fifteen or sixteen years old, and laterRay Charles,Bobby "Blue" Bland,andB.B. King.[6][7]

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 living room.[8][9]At 19, he had two songs, "Womaling" and "Chimes of My Heart," recorded by vocal groupThe Diamonds.[8]Medley and Fiduccia then formed a group called The Paramours in 1960, with Sal Fasulo and Nick Tuturro, later joined by Mike Rider and Barry Rillera.[10]The band had its first paying gig at Little Italy restaurant inAnaheim, California.The Paramours were signed toMercury Records' subsidiary labelSmash Records,releasing such songs as "That's the Way We Love" and "Miss Social Climber" in 1961.[11]

The Righteous Brothers

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The Righteous Brothers performing atKnott's Berry Farmwith Medley on the right and Hatfield on the left

Medley first met his singing partnerBobby Hatfieldthrough 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 saxophonistJohn Wimber,who went on to found The Vineyard Church movement. They performed at The Black Derby nightclub inSanta Ana,[10]and released the single "There She Goes (She's Walking Away)" in December 1962 through independent record labelMoonglow.However, the band did not have much success and soon broke up, leaving Hatfield and Medley to perform as a duo in 1963.[12]

Medley and Hatfield adopted the name The Righteous Brothers, and their firstsinglewas the Medley-penned "Little Latin Lupe Lu,"released throughMoonglow Records.[1]Medley also recorded as a solo artist with Moonglow, releasing the single "Gotta Tell You How I Feel," which did not chart.[13]

In 1964, The Righteous Brothers appeared in a show with other groups at TheCow Palacein San Francisco, wherePhil Spectorwas conducting the band for the entire show.[1]Spector was impressed by the duo, and arranged to have them record for his labelPhilles Records.[14]

In 1965 they had their first No. 1 hit, "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'",produced by Spector. According to music-publishing watchdogBroadcast Music, Inc.,"You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" is the most-played song in the history of American radio.[15]

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.[16][17]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 withVerve 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.[18]

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 ofAmerican Bandstand,where they performed an updated version of "Rock and Roll Heaven."[19]Although Medley focused his attention on his solo career in the 1980s, they continued to appear together as a duo.[20]

After a resurgence in popularity in 1990s due to the use of "Unchained Melody" in the filmGhost,they toured extensively as a duo until Hatfield's death in November 2003.[21][22]The Righteous Brothers were inducted into theRock and Roll Hall of Famein March 2003 byBilly Joel.[23]

In January 2016, Medley announced that he would revive The Righteous Brothers for the first time since 2003, partnering with new singer Bucky Heard.[24]

After six decades of touring, in early 2024 Bill Medley announced his forthcoming retirement with the Righteous Brothers; Lovin' Feelin' Farewell Tour.[25]

Career outside The Righteous Brothers

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Medley has also had a moderately successful solo career. In 1968, Medley first recorded "I Can't Make It Alone" written byCarole King,but the song failed to make much of an impact.[26]The following singles, "Brown Eyed Woman" written by Mann and Weil, and "Peace, Brother, Peace" both performed better, and were Top 40 pop hits. In 1969 he won second place at the Festival Internacional da Canção (FIC) inRio de Janeirowith the song "Evie" byJimmy Webb.[27]Medley performed "Hey Jude"at the1969 Grammy Awards,and was then signed toA&M Records,which released a number of his records.[28]One of his recordings, "Freedom and Fear" fromMichel Colombier's albumWings,was nominated for aGrammy in 1972.[29][30]

Medley released several solo albums during the 1970s and 1980s. He enjoyed a resurgence in his career in the 1980s. He released the albumSweet Thunderin 1980, containing a version of "Don't Know Much,"which was originally written and performed byBarry Mannthe same year. He signed withPlanet Recordsin 1982 and later withRCA Records.In 1984 and 1985 he charted five singles on the country charts, the biggest of these being the Top 20 country hit "I Still Do,"which also crossed over to the Adult Contemporary chart, and later became a cult hit with the Carolina Beach/Shag dance-club circuit. One of Medley's minor entries," All I Need to Know ", was later recorded as"Don't Know Much"by Grammy-winning duetLinda RonstadtandAaron Neville;this was a long-running No. 2 Hot 100 and No. 1 Adult Contemporary hit in 1989–90.[citation needed]

In 1987, Medley's duet withJennifer Warnes,"(I've Had) The Time of My Life",was included on theDirty Dancingsoundtrack,and the single reached number one on theBillboardHot 100.The song won Medley and Warnes a 1988Grammy AwardforBest Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocaland anAcademy AwardforBest Original Songfor the composers.[31]

Among Medley's other notable songs are "Most of All You", the closing theme to the movieMajor League;"Friday Night's a Great Night for Football" fromTony Scott's movieThe Last Boy Scout;and the theme song for theGrowing PainsspinoffJust the Ten of Us.He also collaborated withGiorgio Moroderand scored a moderate UK hit in 1988 with a version of "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother".[32]Medley lensed a video for the song which was also used over the closing credits for the filmRambo III.[33]

In 1985, Medley and Hatfield opened The Hop, a rock & roll-themed nightclub, in Orange County, California.[2]

Medley appeared in the two-part episode "Finally!" of the hit television show,Cheers.In 1998 Medley, along with Jennifer Warnes, sang "Show Me the Light" over the closing credits ofRudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Movie.He also recorded a vocal track for the song Lullabye onJimmy Chamberlin's (ofSmashing Pumpkinsfame) solo album,Life Begins Again.[34]

Recent work

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Through the mid to late 2000s, Medley performed mainly in Branson, Missouri, at Dick Clark's American Bandstand Theater, Andy Williams' Moon River Theater, and The Starlite Theatre.

In 2004, DBC Management released his album “Your Heart to Mine – Dedicated to the Blues” (later released on Fuel Records, 2013).

In 2007 Bill Medley released his first new album since the passing of his long-time Righteous Brothers’ partner; Bobby Hatfield who died on November 5, 2003. The album was titled “Damn Near Righteous” and released on Westlake Records (later released on Varese Sarabande, 2014). The soulful album featured a memorable track collaboration on “In My Room” with Brian Wilson (Beach Boys) & Phil Everly (Everly Brothers), plus new originals “Sit Down And Hurt”, “Something Blue” and “Beautiful”.[35]

Later Medley also began touring with his daughter McKenna and her 3-Bottle Band.[34][36]On November 24, 2013, he performed in concert for the first time in the UK atWembley Arena.[37]

Medley wrote a memoir entitledThe Time of My Life: A Righteous Brother's Memoir.The book was published in 2014.[38]

Bill Medley is set to release his first new album in over a decade, "Straight From The Heart", due out in early 2025. The album will feature a 14-song collection that finds the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer covering mega-hits from some of country music’s finest acts. "Straight From The Heart" was produced byFred Mollinand will be released onCurb Records.Medley last recorded on the Curb label in 1991 with the album "Blue Eyed Singer". The first single from the forthcoming album was released on October 18, 2024; a duet with country music starVince Gillentitled "These Days".[39]"Straight From The Heart" will also feature duets with renowned artists such as Michael McDonald, Shawn Colvin, and Keb Mo.[40]

Personal life

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Medley met his first wife, Karen O'Grady, in church; they started dating in 1963 and were married at the beginning of his music career. Their son, Darrin, was born in 1965 but they were divorced when Darrin was about five years old. Medley married Suzi Robertson in 1970, then Janice Gorham, but each marriage was soon annulled.[41]He was a close friend ofElvis Presley.[42][43]

In January 1976, his first wife Karen, by then remarried and named Karen Klaas, was raped and murdered by a stranger, and Medley decided to take time off from his music career to look after his son. The murder had not been solved and Medley employed aprivate investigatorin an effort to track down the killer. On January 27, 2017, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department announced that investigators used a new DNA testing method to solve the decades-old murder. The sheriff's department said that the case "was solved through the use of familial DNA, which identified the killer", who was named as Kenneth Troyer, a sex offender and fugitive killed by police in 1982.[44]

Medley married Paula Vasu in 1986. The couple had a daughter, McKenna.[45]McKenna is also a singer; she has performed with Medley as his duetting partner on "(I've Had) The Time of My Life".[46]Paula died ofParkinson's diseaseon June 8, 2020.[47]

In May 2020, Medley underwent surgery to remove a cancerous tumor from his throat.[47]

Awards and nominations

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Medley was nominated forBest Arrangement Accompanying Vocalistin the1972 Grammy Awardsfor his recording of "Freedom and Fear", a track fromMichel Colombier's albumWings.[29]

In 1988, Medley received aGrammy AwardforBest Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocalsfor his duet with Jennifer Warnes on "(I've Had) The Time of My Life".[48]

Discography

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Albums

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Year Album Peak chart
positions 		Label
US
[49] 		US Country
[50]
1968 Bill Medley 100% 188 — MGM
1969 Soft and Soulful 152 —
1970 Gone — — A&M
1970 Someone Is Standing Outside — —
1971 A Song for You — —
1973 Smile — —
1978 Lay A Little Lovin' On Me — — United Artists
1981 Sweet Thunder — — Liberty
1982 Right Here And Now — — Planet
1984 I Still Do — 58 RCA
1985 Still Hung Up On You — —
1988 The Best of Bill Medley — — MCA/Curb
1991 Blue Eyed Singer Curb
1993 Going Home — — Essential
1996 Christmas Memories — — Rocktopia
1997 Almost Home — — Rocktopia
2004 Your Heart to Mine - Dedicated to the Blues — — DBC Management
2007 Damn Near Righteous — — Westlake — "—" denotes releases that did not chart
2025 Straight From The Heart Curb

Singles

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Year Single Peak chart positions Album
US
[51][52] 		US
AC
[53] 		US Country
[54][55] 		CAN
[56] 		CAN AC
[57] 		CAN Country
[58] 		AUS
[59] 		UK
[60]
1968 "I Can't Make It Alone" 95 — — 63 — — — — Bill Medley 100%
"Brown Eyed Woman" 43 — — 36 — — — —
"Peace Brother Peace" 48 — — 42 — — — — Soft and Soulful
1969 "This Is a Love Song" 112 — — — — — — — Non-album single
1979 "Statue of a Fool" — — 91 — — — — — Lay a Little Lovin' on Me
1981 "Don't Know Much" 88 29 — — — — — — Sweet Thunder
1982 "Right Here and Now" 58 31 — — — — — — Right Here and Now
1984 "Til Your Memory's Gone" — — 28 — — 20 — — I Still Do
"I Still Do" — 25 17 — — 22 — —
"I've Always Got the Heart to Sing the Blues" — — 26 — — 41 — —
1985 "Is There Anything I Can Do" — — 47 — — 46 — — Still Hung Up on You
"Women in Love" — — 55 — — — — —
1986 "Loving on Borrowed Time"(withGladys Knight) — 16 — — — — — — Cobra(soundtrack)
1987 "(I've Had) The Time of My Life"(withJennifer Warnes) 1 1 — 1 3 — 1 6 Dirty Dancing(soundtrack)
1988 "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" — 49 — — — — 87 25 Rambo III(soundtrack)
1989 "I'm Gonna Be Strong" — — — — — — 114[61] — Non-album single
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

References

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  1. ^abcdeSteve Sullivan (October 4, 2013).Encyclopedia of Great Popular Song Recordings, Volume 2.Scarecrow Press. pp. 101–103.ISBN978-0810882959.
  2. ^abBill Medley (April 24, 2014).The Time of My Life: A Righteous Brother's Memoir.Da Capo Press.ISBN978-0306823169.
  3. ^"Local News in Brief: Santa Ana: Bill Medley to Perform Concert at Alma Mater".Los Angeles Times.March 9, 1989.
  4. ^ab"Interview with Bill Medley [Part 1 of 3]".WGBH Open Vault.
  5. ^Scott Iwasaki (June 24, 2014)."Righteous Brother Bill Medley will share stories with Park City".The Park Record.
  6. ^Bill Crandall (February 28, 2003)."Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: The Righteous Brothers".Rolling Stone.
  7. ^Jamie Blaine (March 31, 2014)."Monday Rock City: Interview with Bill Medley of the Righteous Brothers".The Weeklings.Archived fromthe originalon June 3, 2023.RetrievedDecember 17,2015.
  8. ^abBill Medley (April 24, 2014).The Time of My Life: A Righteous Brother's Memoir.Da Capo Press. pp. 8–9.ISBN978-0306823169.
  9. ^"One Righteous Brother: Bill Medley set to perform at Hot August Nights".RGJ.com.
  10. ^abcBill Medley (April 24, 2014).The Time of My Life: A Righteous Brother's Memoir.Da Capo Press. pp. 10–11.ISBN978-0306823169.
  11. ^"The Paramours_There She Goes".Whitedoowopcollector.blogspot.com.October 20, 2008.
  12. ^Haunted Las Vegas: Famous Phantoms, Creepy Casinos, and Gambling Ghosts.Globe Pequot Press. 2012. p. 64.ISBN9780762789108.
  13. ^Bob Leszczak (December 11, 2014).Encyclopedia of Pop Music Aliases, 1950-2000.Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. p. 283.ISBN9781442240087.
  14. ^Mick Brown (April 7, 2008).Tearing Down The Wall of Sound: The Rise And Fall of Phil Spector.Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 171.ISBN978-0747572473.
  15. ^"BMI".BMI. December 13, 1999.RetrievedMarch 27,2013.
  16. ^Robert Dimery (December 5, 2011).1001 Songs: You Must Hear Before You Die.Cassell Illustrated.ISBN9781844037179.
  17. ^Prato, Greg (June 15, 2014)."Bill Medley of The Righteous Brothers".Songfacts.com.RetrievedSeptember 9,2015.
  18. ^Bill Medley (April 24, 2014).The Time of My Life: A Righteous Brother's Memoir.Da Capo Press. pp. 101–102.ISBN978-0306823169.
  19. ^Frank Hoffmann (2006).Rhythm and Blues, Rap, and Hip-hop.Facts on File. p.225.ISBN9780816069804.
  20. ^"Pop Beat: Medley Earns Praise As 'New' Artist - latimes".Articles.latimes.com. May 10, 1985.RetrievedOctober 21,2015.
  21. ^"The Righteous Brothers".Songwriters Hall of Fame.Archived fromthe originalon October 13, 2015.RetrievedDecember 16,2015.
  22. ^""Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" 1964-1965 ".The Pop History of Dig.
  23. ^"Billy Joel inducts The Righteous Brothers Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductions 2003".Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.Archived fromthe originalon November 18, 2015.
  24. ^"Bill Medley Reforms The Righteous Brothers with New Duet Partner for Las Vegas Residency".ABC News Radio. February 5, 2016. Archived fromthe originalon February 22, 2016.
  25. ^"Bill Medley opens up about the Righteous Brothers' farewell tour and retirement".Orange County Register.January 16, 2024.RetrievedApril 28,2024.
  26. ^Bill Medley (April 24, 2014).The Time of My Life: A Righteous Brother's Memoir.Da Capo Press. p. 74.ISBN978-0306823169.
  27. ^"Bill Medley – Evie".Festivais da Canção.2008.
  28. ^Bill Medley (April 24, 2014).The Time of My Life: A Righteous Brother's Memoir.Da Capo Press. pp. 81–83.ISBN978-0306823169.
  29. ^ab"Grammy Awards 1972".Awards & Shows.
  30. ^Richard S. Ginell."Michel Colombier - Wings".AllMusic.
  31. ^Frank Hoffmann (2005).Rhythm and Blues, Rap, and Hip-hop.Facts on File. pp. 225–226.ISBN9780816069804.
  32. ^Roberts, David (2006).British Hit Singles & Albums(19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 359.ISBN1-904994-10-5.
  33. ^"RAMBO III".Giorgiomoroder.com.
  34. ^abEdwin P. Sallan (May 8, 2014)."Bill Medley, Sonny Turner promise fans the time of their lives in concert".InterAksyon.com.Archived fromthe originalon November 19, 2015.RetrievedNovember 18,2015.
  35. ^"Bill Medley: 'Damn Near Righteous'".NPR.October 24, 2007.
  36. ^The Republican (August 30, 2012)."2012 Big E schedule: Eastern States Exposition".Masslive.com.RetrievedJune 2,2014.
  37. ^"Bill Medley announces first ever UK concert at Wembley".indieLondon.
  38. ^Wesley Britton (April 9, 2014)."Book Review: 'The Time of My Life' by Bill Medley of The Righteous Brothers".Seattle Pi.
  39. ^""These Days", Bill Medley and Vince Gill ".YouTube.October 18, 2024.RetrievedOctober 18,2014.
  40. ^Mollin, Fred."Fred Mollin WINTER and SPRING 2024 Update".
  41. ^Bill Medley (April 24, 2014).The Time of My Life: A Righteous Brother's Memoir.Da Capo Press. pp. 79–90.ISBN978-0306823169.
  42. ^Bill Medley (April 24, 2014)."Chapter 17:Elvis".The Time of My Life: A Righteous Brother's Memoir.Da Capo Press.ISBN978-0306823169.
  43. ^David Adams (February 17, 2013)."Interview with Bill Medley".Elvis Australia.
  44. ^Hayes, Rob (January 30, 2017)."1976 murder of Righteous Brothers singer's ex-wife solved".ABC7 Los Angeles.RetrievedApril 30,2017.
  45. ^Paul Lester (May 19, 2013)."Bill Medley is still having the time of his life".Daily Express.
  46. ^Erik Ofgang (June 26, 2012)."Bill Medley, voice of Righteous Brothers, in Ridgefield".Connecticut Post.
  47. ^abKatsilometes, John (September 18, 2020)."Righteous Brother Bill Medley, at 80, has seen it all — just this year".Las Vegas Review-Journal.RetrievedApril 30,2023.
  48. ^Mike Boehm (March 4, 1988)."Grammy Is Another Steppingstone in Long Road Back for Bill Medley".Los Angeles Times.
  49. ^"Bill Medley Chart History: Billboard 200".Billboard.RetrievedDecember 4,2021.
  50. ^"Bill Medley Chart History: Top Country Albums".Billboard.RetrievedDecember 4,2021.
  51. ^"Bill Medley Chart History: Hot 100".Billboard.RetrievedDecember 4,2021.
  52. ^Whitburn, Joel (2011).Top Pop Singles 1955–2010.Record Research, Inc. p. 594.ISBN978-0-89820-188-8.
  53. ^"Bill Medley Chart History: Adult Contemporary".Billboard.RetrievedDecember 4,2021.
  54. ^"Bill Medley Chart History: Hot Country Songs".Billboard.RetrievedDecember 4,2021.
  55. ^Whitburn, Joel (2008).Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008.Record Research, Inc. p. 274.ISBN978-0-89820-177-2.
  56. ^"Bill Medley - Top Singles".RPM.July 17, 2013.RetrievedDecember 4,2021.
  57. ^"Bill Medley - Adult Contemporary".RPM.July 17, 2013.RetrievedDecember 4,2021.
  58. ^"Bill Medley - Country Singles".RPM.July 17, 2013.RetrievedDecember 4,2021.
  59. ^Kent, David(1993).Australian Chart Book 1970–1992(illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 196.ISBN0-646-11917-6.
  60. ^"Bill Medley: Singles".The Official UK Charts Company.
  61. ^"Week commencing 30 January 1989 - part 1".www.bubblingdownunder.com.January 30, 2020.RetrievedJuly 23,2021.
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