Bobby Hatfield

Robert Lee Hatfield (August 10, 1940 – November 5, 2003) was an American singer. He and Bill Medley performed together as the Righteous Brothers. He sang the tenor part for the duo and sang solo on the group's 1965 recording of "Unchained Melody".

Born in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, Hatfield moved with his family to Anaheim, California, when he was four. He attended Anaheim High School, where he played football and baseball and was co-captain of the basketball team. He was student body president in the 1957–1958 school year, graduating in 1958.

Hatfield was scouted by the Los Angeles Dodgers. 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 attended Fullerton College.

He eventually encountered his singing partner, Bill Medley, while attending California State University, Long Beach. Hatfield was an alumnus of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.

In 1962, Hatfield joined with Medley, who was in a group called the Paramours, and formed a five-member group using the same name: Paramours. They first performed at a club called John's Black Derby in Santa Ana. They were signed to a small record label Moonglow in 1962. They released a single "There She Goes (She's Walking Away)" in December 1962. However, the Paramours did not have much success and soon broke up, leaving Hatfield and Medley to perform as a duo in 1963.

Biography summary from English Wikipedia, photograph via Wikimedia Commons.