Bobby Hatfield (Righteous Brothers) R.I.P.

[Popmartijn]

After many other excellent artists, the year - unfortunately - still isn't over yet.

Nov 6, 1:20 AM (ET)


KALAMAZOO, Mich. (AP) - Bobby Hatfield, who with partner Bill Medley pioneered "blue-eyed soul" as the Righteous Brothers with hits like "Unchained Melody" and "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling," died Wednesday night of undetermined causes at a hotel, his manager said. He was 63.

Hatfield's body was discovered in his bed at 7 p.m. EDT, a half-hour before the duo was to perform at Miller Auditorium on the Western Michigan University campus, manager David Cohen said.

"It's a shock, a real shock," Cohen said during a telephone interview. Medley, who teamed with Hatfield 42 years ago, was "broken up. He's not even coherent," Cohen said.

Hatfield's body was taken from the hotel about 10 p.m. directly to Lansing, where an autopsy was to be performed, Joe Hakim, an executive with the Radisson Plaza Hotel in Kalamazoo, told the Kalamazoo Gazette.

Miller Auditorium executive director Bill Biddle told the audience at 7:05 p.m. that the 7:30 p.m. show had been canceled because of "a personal emergency of an unspecified nature."

Hatfield had been sleeping most of the day in his room, Hakim said. When he didn't answer a wakeup call about 6 p.m., hotel staff and authorities entered the room and found Hatfield's body.

The Righteous Brothers were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame earlier this year.

Their signature 1964 single, "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling," has been cited by numerous sources as the most-programmed song in radio history. Later 1960s hits included "Soul and Inspiration" and "Unchained Melody."

After splitting up in 1968, they reunited in 1974 and returned to the top of the charts with "Rock and Roll Heaven."

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

very sad... i actually saw the righteous brothers and the smothers brothers perform together at westbury music fair on long island... great entertainers... he will be missed

 

[JessicaAnn]

RIP

 

[Moonlit_Angel]

'Tis very sad news. .

R.I.P.

Angela

 

[~LadyLemon~]

They certainly had some good tunes. RIP

 

[Edgette]

 

[Popmartijn]

Here's a nice anecdote about Bobby Hatfield and the recording of You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'. It's from the book accompanying Phil Spector's Back To Mono boxset:

Cynthia Weil recalled that, "After Phil, Barry and I finished the song, we took it over to The Righteous Brothers. Bill Medley, who has the low voice, seemed to like the song. I remember Bobby Hatfield saying, 'But what do I do while he's singing the whole first verse?' and Phil said, 'You can go directly to the bank!'

Marty