INTERVIEW: Bill Medley on how ‘Top Gun,’ ‘Ghost,’ ‘Dirty Dancing’ changed his career
Photo: The Righteous Brothers in 2024 feature, from left, Bucky Heard and Bill Medley. Photo courtesy of the artists / Provided by The Brokaw Company with permission.
Bill Medley, the 83-year-old singer behind hits like “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling,” “Unchained Melody” and “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life,” built a most impressive career with his musical partner, Bobby Hatfield. Together, they were the Righteous Brothers, and they sang the soundtrack to many love-filled memories throughout the years. When Hatfield died more than two decades ago, Medley found himself at a crossroads, not wanting to quit the business but understanding that his fellow singer provided half the talent and half the entertainment to this dynamic duo.
At the time, Medley sat with his thoughts and believed the Righteous Brothers were finished, but then he met Bucky Heard and saw him sing in Branson, Missouri. Medley became convinced there was a path forward, one that honored Hatfield’s undeniable contributions and also let Heard become a beloved musical partner. That decision has worked out, and the Righteous Brothers still bring their hit tunes to adoring crowds around the United States.
The two singers are about to embark on a short East Coast tour in the coming days, with stops in New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and New York. They also hold down a Las Vegas residency at the South Point Hotel and Casino. Audience members should expect many of the great Righteous Brothers tunes, plus some of Medley’s other work, including “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life,” which he sang with Jennifer Warnes.
Recently Medley took a phone call with Hollywood Soapbox and talked about his memories of having hit songs on the radio, his time with Hatfield and Heard, and how he warms up for a concert. Here’s what he had to say …
What goes through your mind right before a tour begins?
“We’ve been off work for a little while. It’s probably only been about three weeks. I jut got off the phone with Bucky, my partner, and we both said, let’s get out of here. Let’s get back to work. We’re excited to finally get going and get out to the East Coast and make some noise.”
What goes through your mind when looking out at the audience?
“It’s kind of an out-of-body experience. You wonder why so many people are here. It was such a long time ago when we had those hits, but it just feels wonderful. You sing those songs, and they relate to them. They were raised on those songs, so I think the thing that keeps the show fresh and good for us is the audience reaction. You start, ‘You never close your eyes…’ and you start to see people hugging and holding hands, so every time I go on stage I feel like I’m 25 years old. It just feels great.”
Did you have a good idea that some of these songs would become hits?
“We had three or four West Coast hits back in ‘63 and ‘64. No, you never know. We went in and did a song I wrote called ‘Little Latin Lupe Lu,’ which started the whole thing off, and then when Phil Spector produced ‘You’ve Lost That Lovin; Feeling,’ we loved the song. And we loved the record, but it was way too long. And I sounded like I was on the wrong speed, but everything that was wrong with it made it a little more special. I think you’d make yourself crazy if you thought every song that you went in and recorded would become a hit because the odds are pretty much against that.”
The younger generations have found your music as well.
“One thing for sure is that ‘Lovin’ Feeling’ and ‘Unchained Melody’ became real popular at the end of the ‘80s because of Top Gun and Ghost, and then I did a song with Jennifer Warnes for the movie Dirty Dancing. And it all happened at the same time, so a lot of kids know us from that. But a lot of times I’ll ask kids, ‘What did you lose a bet? What are you doing here?’ They say, ‘Well, our mom and dad just play your music all the time in the house, and we just loved it. We thought we’d come out and watch you do it.’
Did you ever think the Righteous Brothers were done after Bobby’s death?
“It was 13 years between Bobby passing and me hooking up with Bucky. I wasn’t interested in trying to replace Bobby. Bobby was one of a kind. He was a great singer, but I had so many people over the years tell me, ‘You ought to keep the music alive.’ And people really, really need that, so I was working with Bucky in Branson, Missouri. Not with him, but we became friends. I knew he was a great singer, so I had a lot of friends say, ‘Keep the music alive.’ So when I heard Bucky, I said, ‘Well, if I was going to do it, I would do it with Bucky.’ He’s really not replacing Bobby Hatfield. He’s really filling in for Bobby, which was a pretty scary situation for Bucky to go through to walk on stage and be in those big shoes. But he did a great job, and he still does a phenomenal job.”
What kind of vocal warmups are needed to keep your voice so strong?
“In about ‘74, I had lost my voice, and I was told by the two biggest doctors in Hollywood, great throat doctors, that I would never sing again. So I started taking voice lessons back in the ‘70s, and I still take voice lessons just to learn how to do it properly. I was always afraid to take voice lessons. I thought it would change my voice, but it doesn’t. It just teaches you … how to sing it correctly. I have warmups that I’ve been taught by my vocal coaches, and I really start when I start taking a shower for the show. I start warming up, just simple stuff and easy. I do that for about an hour, and good monitor systems have really saved a lot of singers’ lives. The ear monitors, they really help. They help you to sing softer and still get the same emotion, so, yeah, I do a lot of vocal exercises before every show.”
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
The Righteous Brothers, featuring Bill Medley and Bucky Heard, are currently touring the East Coast. Click here for more information and tickets.
