The Righteous Brothers

Despite their professional appellation, Bill Medley(b. 19 September 1940, Santa Anna, California, USA) and Bobby Hatfield (b. 10 August 1940, Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, USA) were not related. They met in 1962 at California's Black Derby club, where they won the approbation of its mixed-race clientele. By blending Medley's sonorous baritone to Hatfield's soaring high tenor, this white duo's vocal style invoked that of classic R&B, and a series of excellent singles, notably Little Latin Lupe Lu, followed. They achieved national fame in 1964 following several appearances on US television's highly-popular "Shindig." Renowned producer Phil Spector then signed the act to his Philles label and proceeded to mould his ‘Wagnerian’ sound to their dramatic intonation. You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin justifiably topped the US and UK charts and is rightly lauded as one the greatest pop singles of all time. A similar passion was extolled on Just Once In My Life and Ebb Tide, but the relationship between performer and mentor rapidly soured. The Righteous Brothers moved outlets in 1966, but despite gaining a gold disc for (You're My) Soul And Inspiration, a performance modelled on their work with Spector, the duo was unable to sustain the same success. They split in 1968, with Medley beginning a solo career and Hatfield retaining the name with new partner Jimmy Walker, formerly of the Knickerbockers. This short-lived collaboration ended soon afterwards, but the original pair were reunited in 1974 for an appearance on "The Sonny And Cher Comedy Hour." They scored a US Top 3 hit that year with the maudlin Rock ‘n’ Roll Heaven, but were unable to regain former glories and have subsequently separated and reformed on several occasions. In 1987 Medley enjoyed an international smash with (I've Had) The Time Of My Life, a duet with Jennifer Warnes taken from the film Dirty Dancing, while a reissue of Unchained Melody, a hit for the Righteous Brothers in 1965, topped the UK chart in 1990 when culled from the soundtrack of the film Ghost.