Bill Medley Quotes

Powerful Bill Medley for Daily Growth

About Bill Medley

Bill Medley, born on September 19, 1940, in Los Angeles, California, is an American singer-songwriter renowned for his powerful baritone voice as part of the successful duo The Righteous Brothers. Alongside Bobby Hatfield, Medley delivered a series of hit singles that remain timeless classics today. Raised in Santa Ana, California, Medley developed a love for music at an early age, learning to play guitar and piano. His interest in music deepened when he joined his high school choir, where he honed his vocal skills. After serving in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War, Medley returned to Southern California, where he began his career as a songwriter. In 1962, Medley met Bobby Hatfield at a Los Angeles recording studio. Their first collaboration, "Little Sister," reached the top 50 on the Billboard Hot 100. However, their breakthrough came with the release of "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" in 1964. The song became the longest-running number one single in U.S. chart history, spending eight weeks at the top position. The Righteous Brothers continued to achieve success throughout the 1960s and '70s with hits like "Unchained Melody," "Soul & Inspiration," and "Rock and Roll Heaven." In 2003, Medley was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of The Righteous Brothers. Medley's solo career began in the late '70s with the release of his debut album, Bill Medley. His most notable solo work includes "I Dont Miss You," which reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1975. Today, Medley continues to perform and record music, reminding audiences of the timeless power of his voice and the enduring appeal of The Righteous Brothers' music.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"We didn't want to just be a duo, we wanted to be an entity, The Righteous Brothers."

This quote by Bill Medley, one half of The Righteous Brothers, signifies their ambition to transcend the typical definition of a musical duo. They aspired to become a unique collective identity, "The Righteous Brothers," rather than just two individual musicians working together. This entity would represent a distinct sound, style, and spirit that went beyond simple collaboration, reflecting a unified vision and purpose in their music.


"Music is like a painting, it needs color. It needs emotions. And it needs soul."

This quote suggests that music, much like a painting, requires several essential elements to be fully realized. The "color" refers to the variety of musical notes, tones, and harmonies used in composition. Emotions are the feelings and sentiments expressed through the music, making it relatable and impactful. Lastly, "soul" refers to the authenticity and passion behind the creation and performance of the music, which resonates with listeners on a deeper level. Together, these elements combine to create a powerful emotional experience that transcends mere sound.


"Love makes your heart beat faster... when you're in love, your heart doesn't know the difference between beating fast and breaking apart."

This quote by Bill Medley suggests that love can create a powerful, intense feeling that speeds up one's heart rate. The implication is that love may push our physical limits, making us feel both exhilarated and vulnerable. At the same time, it hints at the fragility of the heart, as the rapid beating could also signify the possibility of emotional or physical heartbreak. Essentially, love's power lies in its ability to elicit strong emotions that blur the line between the extraordinary joy of being alive and the vulnerability of exposing oneself deeply to another person.


"You can't please everybody, so you've got to please yourself."

This quote underscores the impossibility of satisfying everyone in life, emphasizing that it is essential to focus on personal happiness and fulfillment instead. It implies that individuals should prioritize their own needs and values, as striving for universal acceptance can lead to frustration and dissatisfaction. By pursuing self-pleasure, one can live a more authentic and contented life.


"If it wasn't for the fans, we would have never made it this far."

This quote emphasizes that the success achieved by artists like Bill Medley is deeply connected to their fanbase. It suggests that without audience support and appreciation (the fans), they may not have had the encouragement or platform necessary to advance in their careers. This underscores the symbiotic relationship between performers and their audiences, where both are essential components of a thriving artistic ecosystem.


The Righteous Brothers started out in Orange County, California. It was about the whitest place in the country, but the black marines from the nearby base heard there were two guys singing rhythm and blues, so they came down to hear us. At the end of our songs they'd yell out, 'That's righteous, brother!' and that's how we got our name.

- Bill Medley

Country, Brothers, County, Marines

There's this Bruno Mars guy. I met him in Hawaii when was doing Elvis imitations at the age of about five or six years old. There's a lot of old school in him. He's got a depth that I just love.

- Bill Medley

Love, Doing, About, Old School

The Righteous Brothers got so heavy because of the dramatic hit records like 'Lovin' Feelin.' Bobby and I just felt like we were a couple of Orange County guys who were just having a great time singing rock n' roll, and then, boy, it became something else.

- Bill Medley

Great Time, Couple, Became, Orange County

I'm a Santa Ana boy from 1940 to all my life. And Santa Ana was different only in the fact that Orange County was just small. Hell, I used to ride my motorcycle through the orange groves, and now it's tracts of homes.

- Bill Medley

My Life, Small, Through, Orange County

All my memories of being in Las Vegas with Bobby were great. Frank Sinatra brought us to the Sands Hotel in 1965. When we worked that lounge, it was a great lounge. I think it was bigger than the showroom. We were two 25-year-old dumb kids from Orange County in Las Vegas with The Rat Pack.

- Bill Medley

Frank, I Think, Las Vegas, Orange County

For Bobby and I to sing R&B and sound black was probably the stupidest thing we could do. White radio stations wouldn't play us because they thought we were black. Black stations wouldn't play us because they thought we were white. Any time you break ground, you go against the grain.

- Bill Medley

Thought, Play, Against, Stupidest

Every so often, if I'm in a melancholy mood, I'll sing 'Desperado' in my shows. I'll sit alone at the piano and play it as a solo. The song feels like an old friend - except now it's saying, 'You were a desperado once, but you worked your way out of it.'

- Bill Medley

Play, Mood, Feels, Melancholy

The reason I still love performing is that people my age, a little younger and a little older, show up to relive that thing that made them so happy all those years ago. And as long as they show up, I'll keep on keepin' on till I keel over.

- Bill Medley

Love, Reason, Till, Keel

It's the audiences that inspire me to keep going. I feel that we all grew up together. The majority now are the people who were raised on the music in the Sixties.

- Bill Medley

Feel, Going, Raised, Sixties

It sounds odd, but I was a singer and started writing songs, and I didn't have anything in mind. Maybe it crossed my mind that it would be cool to have a hit record and a career, but that was so out of reach that I don't think I thought about it that much.

- Bill Medley

Thought, Career, Singer, Crossed

When 'You've Lost that Lovin' Feeling' hit, we were doing a show called 'Shindig!' and the Righteous Brothers suddenly became big business.

- Bill Medley

Doing, Big, Became, Big Business

There were moments that Bobby and I would come offstage after performing in front of 20,000 people and say, 'Wow, how did that happen?' It's been a blessed life.

- Bill Medley

Happen, Performing, Been, Wow

It was so odd to have young kids singing 'Lovin' Feelin' because they knew it from 'Top Gun.'

- Bill Medley

Singing, Gun, Young, Young Kids

The emotion of a song's lyrics has always been what grabs me deeply.

- Bill Medley

Song, Always, Been, Lyrics

There was nothing about Bobby I didn't like... I guess I never understood why he took a left-hand turn when real success came. We got along better from 1990 until his death in 2003. I had accepted him for who he was.

- Bill Medley

Death, Why, About, Understood

I think 'Lovin' Feelin' was probably one of the most - probably in '64 and '65, one of the more dramatic love songs for these kids to grab hold of. I mean, they had been listening to, you know, kind of cute songs, and 'Lovin' Feelin' was just a strong, powerful song.

- Bill Medley

Love, Strong, Been, Grab

Man, we were so opposite. One guy sang high, the other low. One guy tall, one short. We were like a quartet without the two guys in the middle. If you were putting two guys together to make hit records, you wouldn't have picked Bobby and me.

- Bill Medley

Other, Records, Putting, Hit Records

The friendship I had with Elvis began to take shape in 1968 when I was recording in Memphis. I'd record during the day, and Elvis would send one of his guys over to bring me to Graceland at night. Everything you've heard about Graceland during Elvis's glory days is true and then some.

- Bill Medley

Friendship, Some, Bring, Send

Throughout our career, people thought Bobby and I disliked each other. That's not true, but our relationship was very complicated. We were like brothers - and brothers don't always see eye to eye.

- Bill Medley

Career, Always, Very, Disliked

First off, you can't replace Bobby Hatfield. I was just blessed to be able to sing with maybe the greatest singer in the world as a first tenor.

- Bill Medley

Singer, Maybe, Replace, Tenor

Passion: It's what separates a singer from an entertainer. I hope I have passion for my music, my family, and my friends until they start shoveling dirt on my face.

- Bill Medley

Start, Singer, Dirt, Separates

George Klein says that Elvis had five real friends outside of his circle, and I was blessed to be one of them. I spent a lot of time with Elvis in Vegas and at Graceland.

- Bill Medley

Blessed, Vegas, Spent, Real Friends

Every time I go on stage, it's like a first date. I put on my best clothes, shave, and get as handsome as I can. Then I say the cutest things I know to say, and I become the very best Bill Medley I can be because I want to win my date over. My audience is the date that I want to impress every time.

- Bill Medley

Handsome, Date, Very, Impress

Elvis was a great guy. We'd just horse around together or go to see a movie. He drove me around Graceland in a golf cart. He was a fan of our music and was curious about how I sounded so black.

- Bill Medley

Movie, Guy, About, Cart

Opening for The Beatles in San Francisco at the Cow Palace was great. It was terrific fun to do. The tour itself, I must say, wasn't a whole lot of fun, artistically. It was just more kind of interesting.

- Bill Medley

Palace, Francisco, San, Opening

We were so busy that right before we recorded the follow-up single to 'Lovin' Feelin' I had a nervous breakdown. I just folded. I had to stay in bed for a couple of months and rest.

- Bill Medley

Rest, Bed, Couple, Recorded

The Righteous Brothers were purely rhythm and blues, black music.

- Bill Medley

Music, Righteous, Purely, Blues

Little Richard was it for me, man. Later, it was Ray Charles and Bobby 'Blue' Bland, B.B. King.

- Bill Medley

King, Richard, Charles, Ray

I know there are a lot of tough stories out there about Sinatra, but he was so sweet to Bobby and me. He even had us replace him one night in the main room. He didn't get Sammy or Dean; he said, 'I want the kids to do it.' Man, what an honor.

- Bill Medley

Honor, Dean, About, One Night

I had fans, and the industry and everybody saying, 'Keep the Righteous Brothers going; keep the music alive,' and I really didn't want to do that. I had sung with a couple of guys who would supposedly be really good Bobby Hatfields, and I thought, 'Oh geez, it's really anti-climatic.'

- Bill Medley

Alive, Everybody, Couple, Sung

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