The Righteous Brothers were the musical duo of Bill Medley and
Bobby Hatfield. They recorded from 1963 through 1975, and continued to
perform until Hatfield's death in 2003. Bobby Hatfiled died at tje
Radisson Hotel in Kalamazoo, Michigan on November 5, 2003.
A toxicology report concluded that cocaine use had precipitated a fatal
heart attack. Medley and Hatfield both possessed exceptional vocal
talent, with range, control and tone that helped them create a strong
and distinct duet sound and also to perform as soloists. Medley sang
the low parts with his deep, soulful bass-baritone, with Hatfield taking
the higher register vocals with his soaring tenor. They adopted their name
in 1962 while performing together in the Los Angeles area as part of a
five-member group called The Paramours, which featured John Wimber, one
of the founders of the Vineyard Movement, on keyboards. At the end of one
particular performance, a black marine in the audience shouted,
"That was righteous, brothers!", prompting the pair to adopt
the name when they embarked on a career as a duo.
This is a non-profit, informational web page, meant to be a
reminder of the music we listened to 50 years ago. Use of copyrighted
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