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What is Bill Medley’s Net Worth?
Bill Medley is an American singer and songwriter who has a net worth of $60 million. Bill Medley is best known as one half of the musical duo The Righteous Brothers, which he formed with Bobby Hatfield in 1963. The duo had many hit songs, including “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’,” “Unchained Melody,” and “(You’re My) Soul and Inspiration.” Medley has also had a successful career as a solo artist, with his most popular song being the Oscar- and Grammy-winning duet “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life,” sung with Jennifer Warnes.
The Righteous Brothers’ best known hit is probably “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin”. According to BMI, the song has been broadcast over 20 million times, making it the most played radio song of the 20th century. Their single “(You’re My) Soul and Inspiration” was certified Gold and hit #1 in the United States in 1966. Bobby is also notable for his 1965 version of “Unchained Melody” which he performed solo, but is credited and was released as a Righteous Brothers song.
The Righteous Brothers were inducted into the Rock and Roll hall of Fame by Billy Joel in March 2003. The pair performed together regularly until Hatfield passed away in November 2003. Hatfield actually died at a Radisson Hotel Kalamazoo, Michigan hours before a scheduled Righteous Brothers concert.
Bill Medley has also released 14 solo studio albums. His song “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” with Jennifer Warnes from the movie Dirty Dancing won the pair a Grammy Award in 1998. He authored the book The Time of My Life: A Righteous Brother’s Memoir and continues to perform around the world to this day.
The Righteous Brothers’ music received unusually large boosts thanks to appearances in some classic films. In two cases, their songs became intricately connected to the movies. “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin'” was a centerpiece in the 1986 movie “Top Gun” and “Unchained Melody” was featured prominently in the 1990 movie “Ghost”.
Early Life
Bill Medley was born on September 19, 1940 in Santa Ana, California to Irma and Arnol, who had a swing band. Brought up in the Presbyterian faith, he sang in his church’s choir. Medley became even more passionate about music when he listened to R&B songs on black-oriented radio stations; among his earliest influences was Little Richard.
Career Beginnings
Medley’s first musical group was a singing duo called the Romancers, which he formed with his friend Don Fiduccia. Two of their songs, “Womaling” and “Chimes of My Heart,” were recorded by the vocal quartet the Diamonds. Medley and Fiduccia subsequently formed the Paramours with Nick Tuturro and Sal Fasulo. Later, they were joined by Barry Rillera and Mike Rider. The Paramours went on to land a contract with Smash Records, releasing such songs as “Miss Social Climber” and “That’s the Way We Love.”
The Righteous Brothers
Through band mate and mutual friend Barry Rillera, Medley met fellow singer Bobby Hatfield in the early 60s. Medley and Hatfield went on to perform together alongside saxophonist John Wimber. In late 1962, the group released a single called “There She Goes (She’s Walking Away).” Ultimately, the group was unsuccessful, and broke up. Medley and Hatfield subsequently formed the duo the Righteous Brothers in 1963 and released their first single, “Little Latin Lupe Lu.” The following year, they performed at a show in San Francisco, California presided over by record producer Phil Spector, who was so impressed by the duo that he signed them to his label Philles Records. The Righteous Brothers went on to have their first number-one hit with 1965’s “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’.” They had further hits with “Unchained Melody,” “Just Once in My Life,” and “(You’re My) Soul and Inspiration.”
The Righteous Brothers broke up in 1968 when Medley left to embark on a solo career. They eventually reformed in 1974, signing with Haven Records and releasing their hit recording of “Rock and Roll Heaven,” which peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100. The duo split again in 1976, and reunited for the second time in 1981 to perform on the 30th anniversary special of “American Bandstand.” In the early 90s, the Righteous Brothers had a resurgence in popularity when their recording of “Unchained Melody” was featured prominently in the smash film “Ghost.” Due to this, the duo toured extensively throughout the decade. Following the death of Hatfield in 2003, Medley revived the Righteous Brothers with singer Bucky Heard.
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Solo Career
Medley began his solo career in 1968 with the song “I Can’t Make it Alone,” which failed to achieve success. He had better luck with his subsequent singles “Brown Eyed Woman” and “Peace, Brother, Peace.” Medley was eventually signed to A&M Records, which released his albums “Someone is Standing Outside,” “A Song for You,” and “Smile” in the early 70s. During that time, he also recorded the Grammy-nominated song “Freedom and Fear” on Michel Colombier’s album “Wings.” In the 80s, Medley had a number of solid hits on the country charts, including “I Still Do” and “I’ve Always Got the Heart to Sing the Blues.”
Easily the biggest hit of Medley’s solo career is “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life,” a duet with Jennifer Warnes created for the 1987 film “Dirty Dancing.” A number-one Billboard Hot 100 sensation, it won the Academy Award for Best Original Song and earned Medley and Warnes the Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. Medley recorded some more songs for films after that, including “Most of All You” from “Major League” and “Friday Night’s a Great Night for Football” from “The Last Boy Scout.” He returned to studio albums in 2007 with “Damn Near Righteous,” his first release in 14 years.
Personal Life
In 1963, Medley married Karen O’Grady, whom he met in church. The couple had a son named Darrin before divorcing in 1970. That year, Medley wed Suzi Robertson; however, their marriage was soon annulled. His next marriage, to Janice Gorham, was also annulled. In early 1976, Medley’s former wife Karen was raped and murdered, prompting him to take his son Darrin under his care while he assigned a private investigator to the case. The murder was only solved much later, in early 2017, when the LA County Sheriff’s Department identified the suspect as a fugitive who had been killed by police in 1982.
In 1986, Medley married his current wife, Paula. Together, they have a daughter named McKenna who is also a singer. She and her father sing “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” together on tour.
Real Estate
In 2015, Bill sold his home on Balboa Peninsula in Newport Beach for $6 million.
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