The Righteous Brothers Come to The Ridgefield Playhouse on July 10

The Righteous Brothers – Bill Medley and Bucky Heard -  Come to The Ridgefield Playhouse on July 10

“You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’,” “Soul & Inspiration,” “Unchained Melody,” “Rock and Roll Heaven...” are just some of the timeless hits The Righteous Brothers seared into the American psyche. The vocal duo of Bill Medley and the late Bobby Hatfield is irreplaceable, but when Medley heard his old friend Bucky Heard sing a Journey song, he was possessed by the idea of bringing these indelible songs back to the stage. The Righteous Brothers – Bill Medley & Bucky Heard come to The Ridgefield Playhouse on Wednesday, July 10 at 7:30pm. This show features the blue-eyed soul pioneers’ biggest hits as well as Medley’s Grammy-winning Dirty Dancing theme “The Time of My Life,” and much, much more! It is part of the Pepsi Rock Series powered by Xfinity and partially underwritten by Nutmeg Livery Service. Visit GALLO (5 Grove St, Ridgefield) for dinner before the show and get a free glass of house wine with your entrée when you present your tickets! Media partner for this event is WGNY 98.9 Oldies.

The vocal duo of Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield virtually defined the term “blue-eyed soul.” As the Righteous Brothers, they cut a string of hits that fared well on both the pop and rhythm and blues charts: “Unchained Melody” (Number Four pop, Number Six R&B), “(You’re My) Soul and Inspiration” (Number One pop, Number Thirteen R&B) and their masterpiece—and one of the seminal singles of the rock and roll era—“You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” (#1 on the Pop Chart and  #3 on the R&B Chart). In the mid-1960s the Righteous Brothers became a fixture on Top Forty radio and the televised rock and roll variety show “Shindig!” on which they guested frequently. Medley’s commanding baritone and Hatfield’s forceful tenor ranked among the most indelible voices of that charmed era.

The idea of replacing Bobby Hatfield was virtually unthinkable until Bill heard old friend Bucky Heard sing Journey covers one night. “Replacing Hatfield was impossible,” Medley tells the The Providence Journal, “but Heard’s sound comes pretty close. I told Bucky, ‘You can’t replace Bobby Hatfield. You’re filling in for Bobby Hatfield,’” he recalls. “I said, ‘You don’t have to sound like him, just sing like him.’” Heard hits all the high notes that Hatfield used to hit, complimenting Medley’s baritone. The result is eerily beautiful and familiar. 

So if you missed seeing The Righteous Brothers back in the day, or just miss them, be sure to see this show at The Ridgefield Playhouse this July and get back that lovin’ feelin’!

For tickets ($90) call or visit the box office, 203-438-5795 or go online at ridgefieldplayhouse.org.  The Ridgefield Playhouse is a non-profit performing arts center located at 80 East Ridge, parallel to Main Street, Ridgefield, CT.