Bill Medley facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bill Medley
Bill Medley in 2012
Background information
Birth name	William Thomas Medley
Born	(1940-09-19) September 19, 1940 (age 84) Santa Ana, California, U.S.
Origin	Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres	Blue-eyed soul
Occupation(s)	Singer songwriter
Years active	1962–present
Labels	United Artists, RCA, Reprise, Curb

William Thomas Medley (born September 19, 1940) is an American singer. He is best known as one half of the famous music duo, The Righteous Brothers. Bill Medley is known for his deep, rich voice, called a bass-baritone. You can hear it in songs like "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'". He also helped produce many of the duo's songs, including "Unchained Melody".

Besides his work with the Righteous Brothers, Bill Medley is also a successful solo artist. He had a huge hit song called "(I've Had) The Time of My Life" in 1987. He sang this song as a duet with Jennifer Warnes, and it won many awards.

Early Life and First Bands

Bill Medley was born on September 19, 1940, in Santa Ana, California. His parents, Arnold and Irma Medley, had a swing band. Bill sang in his church choir from a young age. He became very interested in R&B music by listening to radio stations that played it. Some of his early music heroes were Little Richard and Ray Charles.

When he was younger, Bill formed a singing duo called The Romancers. He also started writing his own songs. Later, in 1960, he formed a group called The Paramours. This band even signed with a record label and released some songs.

The Righteous Brothers

The Righteous Brothers performing at Knott's Berry Farm. Bill Medley is on the right and Bobby Hatfield is on the left.

Bill Medley met his future singing partner, Bobby Hatfield, in 1962. They formed a new group, keeping the name The Paramours for a short time. They performed at local clubs and released a song. However, the band soon broke up. This led Hatfield and Medley to perform as a duo in 1963.

They decided to call themselves The Righteous Brothers. Their first song as a duo was "Little Latin Lupe Lu". In 1964, a famous music producer named Phil Spector saw them perform. He was very impressed and signed them to his record label.

In 1965, the Righteous Brothers had their first number one hit song, "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'". This song became incredibly popular. It is even known as one of the most played songs in American radio history!

They recorded other famous songs like "Unchained Melody". Bill Medley actually helped produce many of their songs. Sometimes, Bobby Hatfield sang solo on certain songs, like "Unchained Melody".

The duo left Spector's label in 1966. They had another big hit with "Soul and Inspiration". In 1968, Bill Medley decided to try a solo career. However, he found it hard to sing solo every night. He reunited with Bobby Hatfield in 1974. They had another hit song called "Rock and Roll Heaven".

Bill Medley took some time off from music in 1976. He reunited with Hatfield again in 1981 for a TV special. Even though Bill focused on his solo career in the 1980s, they still performed together.

In the 1990s, "Unchained Melody" became popular again because it was used in the movie Ghost. The Righteous Brothers then toured a lot. Bobby Hatfield passed away in 2003. The Righteous Brothers were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003.

In 2016, Bill Medley brought the Righteous Brothers back. He partnered with a new singer named Bucky Heard. In early 2024, Bill Medley announced that he would retire from touring with the Righteous Brothers. Their final tour is called the Lovin' Feelin' Farewell Tour.

Bill Medley's Solo Career

Bill Medley has also had a successful career as a solo artist. In 1968, he released "I Can't Make It Alone". His songs "Brown Eyed Woman" and "Peace, Brother, Peace" were popular hits. He also performed "Hey Jude" at the 1969 Grammy Awards.

He released several solo albums in the 1970s and 1980s. In 1980, he released the album Sweet Thunder. It included his version of "Don't Know Much". In 1984 and 1985, he had five songs on the country music charts. His biggest country hit was "I Still Do".

His duet with Jennifer Warnes, "(I've Had) The Time of My Life", was a huge success in 1987. It was part of the Dirty Dancing movie soundtrack. The song reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It also won a Grammy Award and an Academy Award for Best Original Song.

Other notable songs by Bill Medley include "Most of All You" from the movie Major League. He also sang the theme song for the TV show Just the 10 of Us. In 1988, he had a hit in the UK with "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother". This song was also used in the movie Rambo III.

In 1985, Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield opened a rock & roll nightclub called The Hop. Bill Medley also appeared on the TV show Cheers. In 1998, he sang "Show Me the Light" for the movie Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Movie.

Recent Work

In the 2000s, Bill Medley performed a lot in Branson, Missouri. In 2004, he released an album called Your Heart to Mine – Dedicated to the Blues.

In 2007, he released a new album called ... Near Righteous. This album included a song called "In My Room" with Brian Wilson from The Beach Boys. Bill Medley also started touring with his daughter, McKenna. In 2013, he performed in the UK for the first time at Wembley Arena.

Bill Medley wrote a book about his life called The Time of My Life: A Righteous Brother's Memoir. It was published in 2014.

He is planning to release a new album in 2025 called Straight from the Heart. This album will feature 12 cover songs by country music artists. It will include duets with artists like Vince Gill and Michael McDonald. Bill Medley will also make his debut at the famous Grand Ole Opry in February 2025.

Personal Life

Bill Medley married Karen O'Grady in the early part of his music career. They had a son named Darrin. Bill Medley later married Paula Vasu in 1986. They have a daughter named McKenna. McKenna is also a singer and has performed with her father. Bill Medley was also a close friend of Elvis Presley.

Awards and Nominations

Bill Medley has received several awards for his music.

• In 1988, he won a Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. This was for his duet with Jennifer Warnes on "(I've Had) The Time of My Life".

Discography

Albums

Singles

See also

In Spanish: Bill Medley para niños