In 1965, Bill Medley’s unmistakable bass-baritone voice helped turn “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin'” into the Righteous Brothers’ first No. 1 hit.
More than two decades later, Medley found himself at No. 1 again with a song that would become inseparable from one of the biggest movies of the 1980s.
Now the Righteous Brothers legend celebrates another milestone: Medley turns 86 on Sept. 19.
Born in Santa Ana, Calif., in 1940, Medley grew up surrounded by music. His parents had a swing band, he sang in a church choir and became drawn to R&B as a teenager, citing artists including Little Richard, Ray Charles, Bobby “Blue” Bland and B.B. King among his early influences.
Medley eventually connected with Bobby Hatfield, and the two began performing as a duo in 1963. They became the Righteous Brothers and attracted the attention of producer Phil Spector after appearing at San Francisco’s Cow Palace in 1964.
The following year brought “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’,” which reached No. 1. The duo followed it with recordings including “Unchained Melody” and “(You’re My) Soul and Inspiration.”
Medley’s fingerprints were also on the music behind the scenes. Before signing with Spector, he had produced the Righteous Brothers himself, and he was the actual producer of numerous recordings credited to Spector, including “Unchained Melody,” which initially wasn’t even intended to be a single.
Decades later, “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling” found a new audience thanks to the 1986 Tom Cruise blockbuster Top Gun and “Unchained Melody” found a new audience through the 1990 Patrick Swayze/Demi Moore movie Ghost, helping spark another resurgence for the Righteous Brothers.
Medley’s voice had already enjoyed a major movie moment of its own.
Bill Medley’s Career Beyond the Righteous Brothers
In 1987, Medley teamed with Jennifer Warnes to record “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” for Dirty Dancing.
The duet reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and won Medley and Warnes the Grammy for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. The song’s writers also took home the Academy Award for Best Original Song.
That wasn’t Medley’s only success away from the Righteous Brothers. He recorded numerous solo albums and scored several country hits during the 1980s, including the Top 20 country single “I Still Do.”
After Hatfield died in 2003, Medley eventually revived the Righteous Brothers with singer Bucky Heard in 2016. He later announced a farewell tour after six decades on the road, while making clear that stepping away from touring didn’t necessarily mean he was finished making music.
In fact, Medley was still recording well into his 80s.
In February 2025, he released Straight from the Heart, his first new album in more than a decade. The collection included collaborations with Vince Gill, Michael McDonald, Shawn Colvin and Keb’ Mo’.
Just days after the album arrived, Medley made another career first: At 84 years old, he made his Grand Ole Opry debut.
For a singer whose career stretches from the Righteous Brothers and “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin'” to Dirty Dancing and beyond, 86 arrives after more than six decades of finding new audiences.
Related: ‘Queen of Motown’ Mourns the Death of Martha and the Vandellas Bandmate: ‘My Heart is Heavy’
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