Bobby Hatfield
Encyclopedia
Robert Lee "Bobby" Hatfield (August 10, 1940 – November 5, 2003) was an American singer, best known as one half of the Righteous Brothers
.
, and moved with his family to Anaheim, California
when he was four. A 1958 graduate of Anaheim High School
, he sang in the school choir and played baseball
. He briefly considered signing as a professional ballplayer, but his passion for music led him to pursue a singing career while still attending high school. He would eventually encounter his singing partner Bill Medley
while attending California State University Long Beach. Hatfield is an alumnus of Sigma Alpha Epsilon
fraternity.
Hatfield had a short marriage with Joy Ciro, who appeared as a dancer on the T.A.M.I. Show and Where the Action Is
. They had two children together, Bobby, Jr. and Kalin. In 1979, Hatfield married his second wife Linda, and they were happily married for 24 years until he died. They had two children together, Vallyn and Dustin.
Their first charted single as the Righteous Brothers was "Little Latin Lupe Lu
" and their first #1 was "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'
," produced by Phil Spector
in 1964. Follow-up hits included the #1 "(You're My) Soul and Inspiration" and "Unchained Melody
", the latter of which was actually a Hatfield solo performance that he recorded again after the success of the movie Ghost
, remarking to friends that he had not lost any of the high notes in his tenor
/falsetto
range since the original recording, but had actually gained one note. The duo broke up in 1968, but returned with another hit in 1974, the #3 "Rock and Roll Heaven." The duo was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
in March 2003 by Billy Joel
.
, apparently in his sleep. In January 2004, a toxicology
report concluded that an overdose of cocaine
had precipitated a fatal heart attack
. The Sun
reported Hatfield's death with the front page headline
"You've lost that livin' feeling".
The Righteous Brothers
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...
.
Early life
Hatfield was born in Beaver Dam, WisconsinBeaver Dam, Wisconsin
Beaver Dam is a city in Dodge County, Wisconsin, United States, along Beaver Dam Lake and the Beaver Dam River. The population was 16,243 at the 2010 census, making it the second largest city in Dodge County, and the largest city fully located within the county. It is the principal city of the...
, and moved with his family to Anaheim, California
Anaheim, California
Anaheim is a city in Orange County, California. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was about 365,463, making it the most populated city in Orange County, the 10th most-populated city in California, and ranked 54th in the United States...
when he was four. A 1958 graduate of Anaheim High School
Anaheim High School
Anaheim High School is a public, four-year high school in the city of Anaheim, California, United States. Anaheim High School was first established in 1898, which makes it the oldest of nine comprehensive high schools in the Anaheim Union High School District...
, he sang in the school choir and played baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
. He briefly considered signing as a professional ballplayer, but his passion for music led him to pursue a singing career while still attending high school. He would eventually encounter his singing partner Bill Medley
Bill Medley
William Thomas Medley is an American singer and songwriter, best known as one half of The Righteous Brothers....
while attending California State University Long Beach. Hatfield is an alumnus of Sigma Alpha Epsilon
Sigma Alpha Epsilon
Sigma Alpha Epsilon is a North American Greek-letter social college fraternity founded at the University of Alabama on March 9, 1856. Of all existing national social fraternities today, Sigma Alpha Epsilon is the only one founded in the Antebellum South...
fraternity.
Hatfield had a short marriage with Joy Ciro, who appeared as a dancer on the T.A.M.I. Show and Where the Action Is
Where the Action Is
Where the Action Is or ' was a music-based television variety show in the United States from 1965–67. It was carried by the ABC network and aired each weekday afternoon...
. They had two children together, Bobby, Jr. and Kalin. In 1979, Hatfield married his second wife Linda, and they were happily married for 24 years until he died. They had two children together, Vallyn and Dustin.
Career
Hatfield and Medley began singing as a duo in 1962 in the Los Angeles area as part of a five-member group called the Paramours. They were often told they sounded like African-American gospel singers and named their singing act "The Righteous Brothers" after a fan remarked of their singing, "that's righteous, brothers."Their first charted single as the Righteous Brothers was "Little Latin Lupe Lu
Little Latin Lupe Lu
"Little Latin Lupe Lu" was written by Bill Medley of The Righteous Brothers, who had a chart record with the song in 1963 reaching #47 on the Cashbox music chart and #49 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.-Cover versions:...
" and their first #1 was "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'
You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'
"You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin" is a 1964 song by The Righteous Brothers which became a number-one hit single in the United States and the United Kingdom the following year. In 1999, the performing-rights organization Broadcast Music, Inc. ranked the song as having had more radio and television...
," produced by Phil Spector
Phil Spector
Phillip Harvey "Phil" Spector is an American record producer and songwriter, later known for his conviction in the murder of actress Lana Clarkson....
in 1964. Follow-up hits included the #1 "(You're My) Soul and Inspiration" and "Unchained Melody
Unchained Melody
"Unchained Melody" is a 1955 song with music by Alex North and lyrics by Hy Zaret. It has become one of the most recorded songs of the 20th century, by some counts having spawned over 500 versions in hundreds of different languages....
", the latter of which was actually a Hatfield solo performance that he recorded again after the success of the movie Ghost
Ghost (film)
Ghost is a 1990 romantic drama film starring Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore and Whoopi Goldberg. It was written by Bruce Joel Rubin and directed by Jerry Zucker.-Plot:...
, remarking to friends that he had not lost any of the high notes in his tenor
Tenor
The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
/falsetto
Falsetto
Falsetto is the vocal register occupying the frequency range just above the modal voice register and overlapping with it by approximately one octave. It is produced by the vibration of the ligamentous edges of the vocal folds, in whole or in part...
range since the original recording, but had actually gained one note. The duo broke up in 1968, but returned with another hit in 1974, the #3 "Rock and Roll Heaven." The duo was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum located on the shore of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It is dedicated to archiving the history of some of the best-known and most influential artists, producers, engineers and others who have, in some major way,...
in March 2003 by Billy Joel
Billy Joel
William Martin "Billy" Joel is an American musician and pianist, singer-songwriter, and classical composer. Since releasing his first hit song, "Piano Man", in 1973, Joel has become the sixth best-selling recording artist and the third best-selling solo artist in the United States, according to...
.
Death
On November 5, 2003, Hatfield died at the Radisson Hotel in downtown Kalamazoo, MichiganKalamazoo, Michigan
The area on which the modern city stands was once home to Native Americans of the Hopewell culture, who migrated into the area sometime before the first millennium. Evidence of their early residency remains in the form of a small mound in downtown's Bronson Park. The Hopewell civilization began to...
, apparently in his sleep. In January 2004, a toxicology
Toxicology
Toxicology is a branch of biology, chemistry, and medicine concerned with the study of the adverse effects of chemicals on living organisms...
report concluded that an overdose of cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
had precipitated a fatal heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
. The Sun
The Sun (newspaper)
The Sun is a daily national tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom and owned by News Corporation. Sister editions are published in Glasgow and Dublin...
reported Hatfield's death with the front page headline
Headline
The headline is the text at the top of a newspaper article, indicating the nature of the article below it.It is sometimes termed a news hed, a deliberate misspelling that dates from production flow during hot type days, to notify the composing room that a written note from an editor concerned a...
"You've lost that livin' feeling".