angeles i'm tavis smiley. tonight a conversation with bill medley. what happened to the "righteous brothers." they included, of course; "you lost that loving feeling" and "unchained melody". >> they were front and send r as the musical changes swept the nation. now bill medley has written a memory called the time of my life. we're glad you joined us a conversation with bill medley coming up right now. ♪

♪ and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. ♪ from their first chart-topping single to 1964, the "righteous brothers" were something of a hit-making factory after that duo split. bill medley continued to top the schart with "i've had the time of my life" recorded with jennifer lawrence which was featured in "dirty dancing." now he's written a memory about

his life titled "the time of my life." what else would you call it, the time of my life. let's look at a clip from the "righteous brothers" singing one of those iconic hits -- "you lost that loving feeling" ♪ you're trying hard not to show it, but baby, baby i know it ♪ ♪ you've lost that loving feeling, whoa, that loving feeling ♪ ♪ you've lost that loving feeling now it's gone, gone, gone, whoa ♪ >> you guys really are a duo. you're snapping fingers on one and three. >> he was. bobby was. i was the hipper one. >> yeah. [ laughter ]. >> not the down beat.

>> no. >> can i just say that you guys have to be two -- you said hip, i'll go another way, two of the coolest white guys to ever live. >> well, thank you. thank you. >> soulful white guys. >> well, yeah. >> out of orange county. >> out of orange county. >> that's oxsimore roddick. a soulful white guy out of orange county. >> it's pretty stupid. but, yeah, i mean, and it's odd that, you know, we both hooked up, because, i mean, other the years -- bobby has been passed away little over ten years. and it's just funny. you know, you're from orange county. you're thrown together in this group. and i have never found another guy that can come close -- come close to him. >> we're there. let's jump right in. how did the two of you connect? >> well, we were -- bobby was from anaheim. i was from santa ana. and we both had small, little

rock and roll groups, which was kind of weird in the early '60s because there was still swing music was kind of then, rock n roll was kind of a fad. so we -- but a mutual friend of ours came to town, john wember who had been working vegas. he wanted to put together a work who he thought could work constantly. so he took us, threw us together and we were the "paramour"s and we -- but the minute, the minute bobby and i started singing together, it was -- i don't know that it was magical, but it was so much fun, you know to actually sing with somebody that was that legitimate r&b, you know? >> so the "paramour" was cool. the "righteous brothers" maybe cooler. but how did the "righteous brothers" end up being the name?

>> well, orange county was very white. >> i can't imagine that. >> can you imagine? have you heard? have you heard? yeah. and -- but there was a marine base there, el toro marine base. >> oh, yeah. >> and the black marines heard that there was these two white guys down at the club singing rhythm and blues because that's all bobby and i knew was rhythm and blues. so the black guys would come in. and you know, there was a saying in those days -- in the early '60s and maybe '50s, that's a great-looking suit. well, black guy would say that's a righteous looking suit, which meant good. us white guys would have said, that's cool or bitchin' or whatever. if they liked you as a friend, they would call you a brother. when we were coming to work, they would say, hey, righteous brother, how are you doing? and i wrote a song "little latin

loopy lieu back in 1962." we went in and recorded it. and bobby -- i think bobby -- we needed a name. we didn't want to be the "paramour"s and bobby said let's use the name that the marines had been calling us and it stuck. >> so the brothers named these two -- >> the brothers. [ laughter ]. >> i love it. the brothers named the brothers. >> yeah, thank god. thank god it came from the brothers. >> mean anything to you, and if so, what, that you guys were so beloved by the brothers back in the '60s? >> well, it meant everything. >> yeah. >> because when we recorded "little latin loopy loo" we weren't a duo. we didn't sit down and say, let's do this for a living. it just happened. and so it wasn't a hip thing to

do back in 1962 for two white guys from orange county. >> uh-huh. >> two white guys to sound black because the black stations couldn't play us because we were white and the white stations wouldn't -- couldn't play us because they thought we were black. and then television really messed us up. [ laughter ]. >> but one of the first gigs we ever did as the "righteous brothers" was at the california club down in las vegos angeles. it was an all black-club. they booked us. they didn't know we were white. and we didn't know it was a black club. and it was a great club because a lot of sam cook and lot of the great guys would go there. >> oh, yeah. >> and so we showed up. we said, listen, we're the righteous brothers and we're supposed to perform here

tonight. the guy said, i hope you're the band. i said, no. me and that little blonde guy -- >> we are the "righteous brothers." >> he said sit down in the back and start drinking. and so we did. and you know, clubs would close at quarter to 2, so they called us up at about 1:30. and bobby and i had probably had about five or six beers at that point. we said, listen, let's get up there and let's do a b.b. king blues. and if they hate us, they hate us. you know. so we went up and did "sweet little angel" by b.b. king. and the crowd just went nuts. so, that was like the stamp of approval as far as -- we weren't looking for the stamp, we didn't know what we were doing then. we were just two guys out there

singing. >> and what do you recall about what happened in that club after you opened with b.b. stuff and segued into your hit and they realize, oh my god -- >> yeah. >> these are the "righteous brothers." >> yeah. it was pretty remarkable because in those days that just wasn't happening. >> uh-huh. >> you know, like i said, it wasn't a real commercial thing to do for two -- i mean, it was way against the grain. >> yeah. >> because -- but they just accepted us. they loved us. and you know, man, black audiences, they don't wait until the song is over. they let you know right now, right now if they like you. >> yeah. >> and that's the first time we heard, you know, sing it, brother and all that stuff. man, it just -- >> it will push you, won't it? it will make you sing. >> it turned us on like you cannot imagine. >> yeah. i have a friend of mine, maybe watching tonight, the rabbi of the largest temple west of the mississippi who is the hedera

buy at and another friend who is a baptist preach who are is called kenneth flowers. he used to pastor a church here in las vegas and now in detroit. they would both have a church swap. so on one saturday all the baptist members would go to the synagogue. >> wow. >> and my friend kenny would preach. and then on a sunday, all the jewish members of the synagogue would come to the baptist church and rabbi leader would preach. steve leader, i'm sure he's watching. he will get a kick. he loved coming to that baptist church. can you imagine the difference between a rabbi preaching at a synagogue where it's like dead silent. he got in that black chump and those negros started pushing him, speak on it, rabbi. he didn't know what to do. every year, the greatest day of his life was the year was a rabbi preaching in the baptist church. he loved it.

>> it's the absolute church. i was raised pres pi tear yan, very quiet and, you know -- >> uh-huh. >> and i was dating darlene love -- >> i was about to get to that but go ahead. yeah. >> darlene love. and her father is a minister. >> a minister, uh-huh. >> and she took me to church once. and that's when i learned about "make a joyful noise unto the lord". >> you got it figured out. >> in a heart beat. i was so psyched. and her father said, well, let's get brother bill up to sing. i said, oh, gosh. holy moly. but it was the greatest experience in the world because going up and singing at this, you know, black church and they're just on fire. it was the first time i had ever sang but didn't sing to an audience. i was singing to god and they were praising god.

and it was a very interesting -- i'll never forget it my whole life that it was kind of an out of body experience. >> you talk in this book, and i'm so glad you do, about the wonderful relationship you had with darlene love. she was on is this program sitting in that very spot not too long ago. and i know how i felt about it and feel about it. i can only imagine how you feel about it. the success of that documentary "20 feet from star dom" sang a ditty when she got up. how did you process this woman and her -- oprah is doing a movie on her network, called the darlene love story. it's like everything has come around for her after all these years. >> well, it's just wonderful. it was so wonderful to watch and such a long time coming. and i know that, you know, bruce springsteen is a huge supporter of darlene's. she's just always been one of the great, great singers in the

world. and i believe she's singing as well, if not better today. i just saw her a couple three weeks ago perform in palm springs. you know, it's just so great in our business when you finally see something that should happen happen. and it was so right that she hit it. and she sang on the academy awards, i just said, go ahead. go ahead. [ laughter ]. >> you just said something now about what happened over the years with one's career. there's a passage in your book "the time of my life" on page 207 that i want to read. i've kind of highlighted a few sentences here. but i love this. 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. i don't work as much as i did when i was 25, but i still love it when i do. 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. i think that's part of what keeps me young. i'm always looking ahead to my next first date. how cool is that? >> how cool is that? >> that's a great passage, man. >> well, it's a lie. [ laughter ]. no, no, it is. >> it's a great passage. >> well, it is like a first date. >> yeah. >> i mean, you know, you got to get your cute clothes on and, you know, you go out on the stage and you just -- it becomes

that magical thing. people say, how can you still sing "loven' feeling" after 50 years? and i say, well, because the minute you go on stage -- ♪ you never o close your eyes anymore ♪ >> well the audience lights up and they go right back to 25 years old. i go back to 25 years old and it's my first date. >> what do you make -- let's talk about the music for a second here. what do you make of the enduring legacy and relevance of that track? "you've lost that loven feeling". >> well, it was produced by phil specter, written by barry man and cynthia wild, two of the greatest writers in the world. you know, a record -- a real good record is a great production, a great song and i can't say this but a great

performance from the singers. and i must say, phil specter brought that out of us. and i don't know. you know, i think "loven' feeling" probably in '64 and '65 one of the more dramatic love songss for these kids to grab ahold of. i mean, they had been listening to, you know, kind of cute, cute songs. and "loven' feeling" was just a strong, powerful song. >> so fast forward just a few years and a whole new generation gets to know you. the time of my life, that song, man, is just -- >> yeah. >> i don't have language to describe how powerful, how relevant to the audience then and now the words -- the lyrics for that song. >> yeah. i've had the time of my life. what a great song to be

associated with, you know. it's something positive. i mean, "loven feeling" and "you've lost that loven feeling" and all those songs and it was so great to sing, you know, a positive song, you know. and a lot of graduations -- they would sing it at graduations and weddings and stuff. and the movie "dirty dancing" i don't know if it would have been a hit without it being in "dirty dancing" yo can't tell. >> it could have been the other way around. >> it could have been the other way. i made "dirty dancing". >> with all due respect to patrick sway si. >> i turned it down for about three months. they called me and said, jimmy from new york was putting the music together for it. and i'm california guy and they asked me to come out to new york to perform it. and i said, i can't leave california. i said, what's the name of the

movie? and they said it was called "dirty dancing" and this is like, what, 27, 28 years ago. well, "dirty dancing" sounded like a bad porno movie in those days and i said, what? i had done a lot of songs for a lot of movies for sylvester stallone. they just finished the duet with gad disknight. i said who is in the movie, patrick swaysy and jennifer gray. i said who is that? they got fame afterwards. and so i turned it down, turned it down, my wife was expecting our daughter mekenna. so they would call literally about every week and said, has she had the baby yet? has she had the baby yet? and i'm telling my wife, have the baby. i need a hit record.

and so she had our child. they said, listen, jennifer lawrence wants to sing this song with you, if she can do it with you. so jennifer and i basically did the song just to perform together, just to sing together and make this record because obviously the movie wasn't going to do anything. >> right. >> and i was out on the road with the "righteous brothers" and we were doing a concert. one of the disk jockeys came up to me and said, you know, we're playing the heck out of your record. i said, what record? he said the one for the movie. i said, what movie? he said, he said -- i said -- he said, you're singing with a girl. oh, the gladis knight record. i said dirty dancing? he said, yeah. and by the time i got off the tour, which was only about two weeks later, i got home and the song was number one all over the

world. >> and you didn't see it coming? >> oh, come on? i've turned down three or four careers. i turned down in the ghetto by elvis presley. it's bound to happen, you know? >> yeah. how do you process that? when you look back on something that you turned down or in this case, you did do it, so it's not like you turned it down, but after all these years, i should spank your hand. i'm disappointed in you after all these years. you're iconic at this. you should know a hit when you hear one? >> well, wouldn't you think. >> yeah. >> wouldn't you think. but if i did, i probably would have a lot more hit records, you know. but you know, because i've answered this question. i said, you know, when you're hot, you get the greatest writers in the -- carol king. you got the greatest writers in the world writing for you, so you're bound to turn down -- you

can only do, you know, what you can do. i knew "in the ghetto" was a great song. these are obviously great songs, but just didn't have time to do them. >> want to go back to this quote that you read -- >> you can spank my hand if you want. >> you ain't done bad. you done all right. i ain't feeling sorry for you. i want to go back to this quote that i read about that p. word, passion. why have you been all these years so passionate about the music? put it another way, what else might you have done had it not been music? >> well, i don't know what i would do if it wasn't music because i'm really a one-trick pony. i'm one of those jerks that dropped out of school when i was 16, headed right into a mountain and god obviously -- and i

always sang in church choirs and school choirs, but obviously god said i got to help this kid. and gave me music. and gave me bobby hatfield. it's just been a blessing. so i don't know what -- i don't know what prison i would be in right now if it wasn't for music. >> p-r-i-s-o-n or p-r-i-s-m? >> o-n. but passion, for music, man, that's what i do. that's what i love. i fell in love with rhythm and blues. >> yeah. >> and all these great black singers from the '60s, they just stole my heart, stole my soul. i was obsessed with it. there was a little radio station up here in l.a., kfwb, hunter hancock in orange county you could barely tune it in.

and it's like i had ray charles and b.b. king and bobby and these guys coming to my house everyday and every night, showing me -- not teaching me how to sing but singing along with them, i was just -- they taught me how to sing. >> just a couple minutes to go. how did you process the breakup with bobby? >> well, you know, bobby and i had broken up a couple of times in our career, but we since the '90s, 1990 we were really back together and having a ball. and when bobby passed away in '03, you know, i didn't so much realize it then but, you know, i'm a righteous brother. and when bobby passed away, the "righteous brothers" passed away. and so it took me about two years to finally figure that out

that you know, big part of you went when bobby passed away. >> what's great about this book, and i haven't scratched the surface of this because there's so much of this rich life and legacy still on going thankfully, what's great about this book, different than most, you hear the voices of his family and friends in the text as well. it's not just bill writing. but you hear the voices of those that have been close toast him and have loved him and supported him through the years coming through in this book as well. but it is his book with a forward by some guy named billy joel. the book is called "the time of my life" a "righteous brothers" memory written of course by the one and only, bill medley. coolest white guy ever to come out of orange county. bill medley, good to have you on this program, man. >> thank you, tavis. >> that's our show for tonight. thanks for watching. ♪ passion in our eyes, there's no way we could disguise

secretly ♪ ♪ ♪ so we take each other's hand because we seem to understand ♪ ♪ just remember ♪ you're the one thing ♪ i can't get enough of ♪ so i tell you something ♪ this could be love ♪ because i've had the time of my life, oh i never felt this way before ♪ >> announcer: for more information on today's show, visit tavis smiley at pbs.org. >> join me next time for a conversation with robin roberts about her new memory "everybody's got something." that's next time. we'll see you then.

♪ >> announcer: and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you.

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