The Righteous Brothers' Bill Medley performs farewell tour at Brown County Music Center

Until 2019, The Righteous Brothers' “You've Lost That Lovin’ Feelin" was modern radio's most-played song ever.

In addition to “That Lovin’ Feelin’” and “Unchained Melody,” The Righteous Brothers were loved for other wins, such as “Just Once in My Life” and “Soul & Inspiration.” Bill Medley (that super low voice) and Bobby Hatfield worked together until 1968, then performed together once in awhile thereafter.

Medley and singer Bucky Heard, who Medley began working with after Hatfield's death, will be at the Brown County Music Center April 7 and tickets are selling quickly.

What's in a name: Everything

The Righteous Brothers formed in 1962, when Medley and Hatfield decided to leave the quintet The Paramours.

"In the early 1960s, Orange County, California, was about the whitest place in the country," Medley said. "But all these Black Marines from El Toro Marine base heard that there were these two guys singing rhythm and blues, so they came down to hear us."

"In those days if you really liked something, like a great shirt, a white guy would say, 'Boy, that's cool' or 'bitchin.'" A Black guy would say, 'That's righteous, that's a righteous lookin' shirt.' And if they like you as a friend, they'd call you a 'brother.' Like, 'Hey brother, how you doin'?"

Often the Righteous Brothers would pass a Black Marine who would say, "Hey righteous brother, how you doin'?"

"I loved that and so did Bobby," Medley said. "Sometimes at the end of our songs they'd yell out, 'That's righteous, brother!'"

Medley thinks it was Hatfield who said, "What about the name the Marines have been calling us, the Black guys. How about The Righteous Brothers?"

Medley loved it. "That was it. We put the name on our first record. The Black Marines from El Toro Marine base named us."

That first record with their new name was "Little Latin Lupe Lu." Medley wrote it when he was 19 when he and Hatfield were still in The Paramours. They recorded the song in 1962 for Ray Maxwell at Moonglow Records, and because it was just Medley and Hatfield, they wanted a name.

The song peaked on the Billboard Hot 100 at 49 in June 1963, launching The Righteous Brothers. Shortly thereafter Phil Spector approached the duo and recorded "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling."

Losing a brother

In 2003, Hatfield died suddenly at age 63, just months after The Righteous Brothers entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and moments preceding a scheduled show with Medley.

After, Medley was going solo. But, in 2015, he was wowed by the voice of his close friend Bucky Heard. Medley saw Heard at a Journey tribute and knew Heard could be his perfect new music partner. People had been advising Medley to reform the Righteous Brothers; something clicked.

Medley made many friends in his six decades of performing. One special friendship was with Elvis Presley. In the early '70s, Medley and Presley performed at the Las Vegas Hilton, where Medley learned Presley was a Righteous Brothers fan even before "That Lovin’ Feelin'." Medley enjoyed getting to know Presley, as they chatted, just the two of them, on many occasions.

A song that followed "That Lovin’ Feelin’’ titled "Just Once in My Life," written by Carole King, may be the most fun for Medley to perform.

Bill Medley's memoir reveals more

The Righteous Brothers toured with the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, became pals with the Beach Boys, and delivered R&B to a new and vast audience, some of whom had yet to taste the sweet sould of R&B.

Medley's duet with Jennifer Warnes, for the 1987 film “Dirty Dancing,” shot to No. 1 on the charts and took a Grammy, a Golden Globe and an Oscar.

Medley details the journey in a memoir, "The Time of My Life," published in 2015.

"The Time of My Life" tells of events of Medley's life, but also of a talented rock star who gained massive fame and later reformed his loyalty to family and faith.

If you go

WHAT: The Righteous Brothers

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. April 7WHERE: Brown County Music Center, 200 Maple Leaf Blvd., Nashville

TICKETS: Tickets are selling quickly, starting at $63. For tickets, go online to www.browncountymusiccenter.com or call 866-770-6665.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: The Righteous Brothers farewell tour with Bill Medley in Brown County