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Music + Concerts | Bill Medley opens up about the Righteous…

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Music + concerts, music + concerts | bill medley opens up about the righteous brothers’ farewell tour and retirement.

After six decades as a Righteous Brother, Bill Medley says it’s time.

It’s time to leave the road he’s traveled as one of the Righteous Brothers , first with Bobby Hatfield (until his death in 2003) and since 2016 with replacement Bucky Heard.

Time to sit back and – well, Medley’s not quite sure what comes next.

ALSO SEE: OC’s first Hall of Famers will be inducted Friday; Gwen Stefani set to appear in person

“Boy, you know, that’s a great question, and obviously that’s the real thought,” Medley says from his longtime home of Newport Beach. “Because I don’t – I’ve been so busy in the business and traveling and going and doing I don’t know.

“My wife Paula passed away a little over three years ago, and I never realized until she was gone, you know, you don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone,” the 83-year-old Orange County native says. “And so I don’t know what I’m going to do.

“I’d like to keep writing and maybe produce,” he says. “I would love to find a younger artist that I could hopefully kind of groom a little bit. Show them some short cuts. Yeah, I’d love to do that.

“But other than that, man, I’ll tell you, I don’t know. You’ll probably see me walking up and down Santa Ana, saying, ‘You want to buy a record?’”

The Righteous Brothers, who were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003, are best known for such hits as “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling,” “Unchained Melody,” and “(You’re My) Soul and Inspiration.”

We first met Medley in 2007 to talk about the 20th anniversary of “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life,” his duet with Jennifer Warnes for the movie “Dirty Dancing,” which not only reached No. 1 on the charts but also won a Grammy, a Golden Globe and an Oscar. And we’ve checked in with him over the years as other news of his career as a solo artist and Righteous Brothers arose.

So when news of the Righteous Brothers’ Thank You, Farewell Tour arrived, and with a pair of Southern California shows on Thursday, Jan. 18 and Friday, Jan. 19, we rang him up again to talk about why he’s leaving the road, the dreams he had as a young artist before stardom arrived, and what comes next.

Q: I’ll start with the title of the tour – Thank You, Farewell – and ask if it means what it sounds like, and how you came to that decision.

A: Yeah, we really haven’t figured it all out. There’s still some contracts and stuff that we have to fulfill. But it’s slowly but surely coming to an end.

Q: Deciding that now is the time, what played into your thought process?

A: Traveling. It’s that simple, man. I love to do the shows. I just love the shows. But the traveling is just getting worse and worse. You know, I’m 83 and when I was a kid, it was pretty exciting. But doing the job, doing the show, well, I’ve always said, ‘You’re paying me to travel. You don’t pay me to do the show. The show’s frosting on the cake.’

Q; I think the last time we talked was when you were about to team up with Bucky Heard and tour again as the Righteous Brothers. What’s that been like to have a duo partner again?

A: It’s just been really exciting. It’s been wonderful. He’s a great singer, and more important, he’s a wonderful, wonderful guy. We have just become the best of friends, and I just love him. If I couldn’t have Bobby, Bucky certainly was the guy to fill in for Bob. It’s just been phenomenal.

Q: Let me ask you a couple of questions about the early days, when you were a teenager or in your early 20s, just starting to write and perform and record. How big did you let yourself dream that music might be a career for you?

A: I was raised in Santa Ana and a friend of mine asked me, he had written a song, and he wanted me to sing it because he heard that I could sing. And I never took my singing serious at all, except for when I was in choir I had to take it serious. But you know, I don’t think I allowed myself to think about being successful as a songwriter or singer.

I was just doing what I loved to. I’d sit in the house there and play the piano for 12 hours. Drive my mom nuts. But yeah, you know I don’t ever remember thinking, boy, this is what I want to do. The dream was just so far away.

You know, when you’re talking about success in this business, it’s just, well, it’s magical. I’ve always said I wish you could just go to college for four years. You graduate and they say, ‘Here’s your first hit record,’ and you’re in. But it ain’t that way.

Q: Did you have a backup plan as a young man? Like, OK, I’m going to write songs until can’t anymore and then go do this or that?

A: I got to tell you, I was one of those 15-, 16-, 17-year-old punks, you know. Santa Ana was ‘Happy Days’ back then. And I, unfortunately, quit school when I was 16, which was stupid. A lot of times I would get four Fs and one A, because I’m with the choir.

But no, I never had a backup plan. I just was headed into a mountain. I was going nowhere, nowhere fast, and God just took me by the hand and said, ‘Listen, man, I think you’d better try singing.’

And then, thank God, John Wimber from Orange County, he was working in Vegas a lot, and he came home and wanted to start a group that could get a lot of work. So he took Bobby and Bobby’s drummer, and myself and my guitar player, and put us all together. And boy, when I started singing with Bobby, first off, it was just so much fun because Bobby and I were absolutely raised on the same music.

It just felt so right, and we felt like we were stealing money. Even though at John’s Black Derby in Santa Ana we were making $100 a week, we thought we had died and went to heaven. Then a good friend of mine, Mike Patterson here from Orange County, was working at the Rende–zvous Ballroom down in Balboa, and convinced Bobby and I to go down there. And that was the start of the Righteous Brothers.

Q: In ’62, the Righteous Brothers released ‘Little Latin Lupe Lu,’ which was a hit at least regionally. But it was still a few years until ‘You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling.’ What was that period like, and what was it like when ‘Lovin’ Feeling’ hit No. 1?

A: With ‘Lovin’ Feeling,’ Phil Spector produced ‘Lovin’ Feeling.’ He called our company, Moonglow Records, which was from Garden Grove, and we were signed to them. But Phil wanted to buy the remainder of our contract or lease it. And so we recorded it.

But at the same time, we were doing a TV show, ‘Shindig,’ and it was huge. It was like doing Ed Sullivan every week. So it was like the perfect storm, a song, ‘Lovin’ Feeling’ coming out, and we were starting to become nationally known through the television.

You’re right, ‘Little Latin Lupe Lu’ was like a West Coast hit, and it did fine and kind of got us moving. But the truth is when we ‘Lupe Lu’ and that stuff, we used to have conversations about what we were gonna do when the fad fades. Because everybody thought, well, rock and roll, you know, rock and roll is gonna go away.

So our lives really changed. I mean, I can remember we were going to do a show in Chicago, and we were driving from the airport to the hotel. We stopped for gas, and we went into the office of the gas station, and the guy said, ‘Jesus, you’re the Righteous Brothers!’ And we went, ‘How the hell did you know that?’ That was the first time we said, ‘Oh, well, maybe this is something.’

Q: When I was prepping for this call, I realized that in November it had been 20 years since Bobby died. How did you feel when that anniversary came up?

A: My daughter (McKenna Medley) called me right away. I knew, anyway. A lot of people called me and I think I put something on the website.

And I went to the grave, the grave site (in Corona Del Mar) just to tell him I missed him. We were together quite a while, and you come real brothers, you know. I know that sounds stupid, and everybody says it, but you really do become brothers, the good, bad and the ugly. Brothers.

But yeah, I miss him a lot. I thought about him for about a month after that.

Q: So when you do wrap up the farewell tour?

A: I don’t know. I mean, I would like to think I would enjoy and normal life until I’m out of here. Like just maybe go to the show, have some dinners. You know, I’ve met a lady. I have a lady and that’s gonna help a great deal. But I don’t really have any flat-out plans.

Q: I saw on McKenna’s Instagram that you’ve got a new grandchild, so you can be a grandpa for a while, too.

A: I’m a grandpa and I’m a great-grandpa. My son made me a great-grandpa. So yeah, that’s another thing. I would really love to spend more time with the kids, the grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

I didn’t get much of a chance to do that. When we were young, my first wife, Karen, if there was a birthday or an anniversary or something, but we were booked to do the Ed Sullivan show, I would say, ‘Honey, I can’t be here for the birthday. I have to go – or actually, I get to go to Ed Sullivan.’ I said, ‘But the minute it’s more important than that, I will be here.’

She passed away in ’76, and my son was 10 years old and there was nobody but me. So I took time off to go raise my son, because I promised Karen that’s what I would do. It was important to do that. Instead of being Bill Righteous, I was Darrin’s dad. It was very cool.

Q: What’s a Righteous Brothers show like on these final dates?

A: The Righteous Brothers were always, well, certainly old-school now, but we were a little old-school even when we started, because we were a couple of years older than say the Beach Boys and the Beatles. So we would do a lot of humor. And the reason is because the songs that we had hits with were such dramatic ballads that we tried to lighten it up.

So the show is pretty much the same thing. We do all the hits, and a couple of surprises. The thing I love to hear the most is when we go out and sign autographs and they say, ‘Boy, I didn’t expect that.’ I hope they mean it in a good way,

Q: I’m sure they mean it in a good way.

A: I think so. Well, they were smiling.

The Righteous Brothers

Thursday, Jan. 18: Smothers Theatre, Pepperdine University, Malibu. Show is at 8 p.m. Tickets are $47.50-$90.

Friday, Jan. 19: Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, Indio. Show is 8 p.m. Tickets are $39-$59.

For more: Go to Righteousbrothers.com/events for more information including tickets.

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Bill Medley opens up about the Righteous Brothers' farewell tour and retirement

Jan. 16—After six decades as a Righteous Brother, Bill Medley says it's time.

It's time to leave the road he's traveled as one of the Righteous Brothers, first with Bobby Hatfield (until his death in 2003) and since 2016 with replacement Bucky Heard.

Time to sit back and — well, Medley's not quite sure what comes next.

ALSO SEE: OC's first Hall of Famers will be inducted Friday; Gwen Stefani set to appear in person

"Boy, you know, that's a great question, and obviously that's the real thought," Medley says from his longtime home of Newport Beach. "Because I don't — I've been so busy in the business and traveling and going and doing I don't know.

"My wife Paula passed away a little over three years ago, and I never realized until she was gone, you know, you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone," the 83-year-old Orange County native says. "And so I don't know what I'm going to do.

"I'd like to keep writing and maybe produce," he says. "I would love to find a younger artist that I could hopefully kind of groom a little bit. Show them some short cuts. Yeah, I'd love to do that.

"But other than that, man, I'll tell you, I don't know. You'll probably see me walking up and down Santa Ana, saying, 'You want to buy a record?'"

The Righteous Brothers, who were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003, are best known for such hits as "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling," "Unchained Melody," and "(You're My) Soul and Inspiration."

We first met Medley in 2007 to talk about the 20th anniversary of "(I've Had) The Time of My Life," his duet with Jennifer Warnes for the movie "Dirty Dancing," which not only reached No. 1 on the charts but also won a Grammy, a Golden Globe and an Oscar. And we've checked in with him over the years as other news of his career as a solo artist and Righteous Brothers arose.

So when news of the Righteous Brothers' Thank You, Farewell Tour arrived, and with a pair of Southern California shows on Thursday, Jan. 18 and Friday, Jan. 19, we rang him up again to talk about why he's leaving the road, the dreams he had as a young artist before stardom arrived, and what comes next.

Q: I'll start with the title of the tour — Thank You, Farewell — and ask if it means what it sounds like, and how you came to that decision.

A: Yeah, we really haven't figured it all out. There's still some contracts and stuff that we have to fulfill. But it's slowly but surely coming to an end.

Q: Deciding that now is the time, what played into your thought process?

A: Traveling. It's that simple, man. I love to do the shows. I just love the shows. But the traveling is just getting worse and worse. You know, I'm 83 and when I was a kid, it was pretty exciting. But doing the job, doing the show, well, I've always said, 'You're paying me to travel. You don't pay me to do the show. The show's frosting on the cake.'

Q; I think the last time we talked was when you were about to team up with Bucky Heard and tour again as the Righteous Brothers. What's that been like to have a duo partner again?

A: It's just been really exciting. It's been wonderful. He's a great singer, and more important, he's a wonderful, wonderful guy. We have just become the best of friends, and I just love him. If I couldn't have Bobby, Bucky certainly was the guy to fill in for Bob. It's just been phenomenal.

Q: Let me ask you a couple of questions about the early days, when you were a teenager or in your early 20s, just starting to write and perform and record. How big did you let yourself dream that music might be a career for you?

A: I was raised in Santa Ana and a friend of mine asked me, he had written a song, and he wanted me to sing it because he heard that I could sing. And I never took my singing serious at all, except for when I was in choir I had to take it serious. But you know, I don't think I allowed myself to think about being successful as a songwriter or singer.

I was just doing what I loved to. I'd sit in the house there and play the piano for 12 hours. Drive my mom nuts. But yeah, you know I don't ever remember thinking, boy, this is what I want to do. The dream was just so far away.

You know, when you're talking about success in this business, it's just, well, it's magical. I've always said I wish you could just go to college for four years. You graduate and they say, 'Here's your first hit record,' and you're in. But it ain't that way.

Q: Did you have a backup plan as a young man? Like, OK, I'm going to write songs until can't anymore and then go do this or that?

A: I got to tell you, I was one of those 15-, 16-, 17-year-old punks, you know. Santa Ana was 'Happy Days' back then. And I, unfortunately, quit school when I was 16, which was stupid. A lot of times I would get four Fs and one A, because I'm with the choir.

But no, I never had a backup plan. I just was headed into a mountain. I was going nowhere, nowhere fast, and God just took me by the hand and said, 'Listen, man, I think you'd better try singing.'

And then, thank God, John Wimber from Orange County, he was working in Vegas a lot, and he came home and wanted to start a group that could get a lot of work. So he took Bobby and Bobby's drummer, and myself and my guitar player, and put us all together. And boy, when I started singing with Bobby, first off, it was just so much fun because Bobby and I were absolutely raised on the same music.

It just felt so right, and we felt like we were stealing money. Even though at John's Black Derby in Santa Ana we were making $100 a week, we thought we had died and went to heaven. Then a good friend of mine, Mike Patterson here from Orange County, was working at the Rende — zvous Ballroom down in Balboa, and convinced Bobby and I to go down there. And that was the start of the Righteous Brothers.

Q: In '62, the Righteous Brothers released 'Little Latin Lupe Lu,' which was a hit at least regionally. But it was still a few years until 'You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling.' What was that period like, and what was it like when 'Lovin' Feeling' hit No. 1?

A: With 'Lovin' Feeling,' Phil Spector produced 'Lovin' Feeling.' He called our company, Moonglow Records, which was from Garden Grove, and we were signed to them. But Phil wanted to buy the remainder of our contract or lease it. And so we recorded it.

But at the same time, we were doing a TV show, 'Shindig,' and it was huge. It was like doing Ed Sullivan every week. So it was like the perfect storm, a song, 'Lovin' Feeling' coming out, and we were starting to become nationally known through the television.

You're right, 'Little Latin Lupe Lu' was like a West Coast hit, and it did fine and kind of got us moving. But the truth is when we 'Lupe Lu' and that stuff, we used to have conversations about what we were gonna do when the fad fades. Because everybody thought, well, rock and roll, you know, rock and roll is gonna go away.

So our lives really changed. I mean, I can remember we were going to do a show in Chicago, and we were driving from the airport to the hotel. We stopped for gas, and we went into the office of the gas station, and the guy said, 'Jesus, you're the Righteous Brothers!' And we went, 'How the hell did you know that?' That was the first time we said, 'Oh, well, maybe this is something.'

Q: When I was prepping for this call, I realized that in November it had been 20 years since Bobby died. How did you feel when that anniversary came up?

A: My daughter (McKenna Medley) called me right away. I knew, anyway. A lot of people called me and I think I put something on the website.

And I went to the grave, the grave site (in Corona Del Mar) just to tell him I missed him. We were together quite a while, and you come real brothers, you know. I know that sounds stupid, and everybody says it, but you really do become brothers, the good, bad and the ugly. Brothers.

But yeah, I miss him a lot. I thought about him for about a month after that.

Q: So when you do wrap up the farewell tour?

A: I don't know. I mean, I would like to think I would enjoy and normal life until I'm out of here. Like just maybe go to the show, have some dinners. You know, I've met a lady. I have a lady and that's gonna help a great deal. But I don't really have any flat-out plans.

Q: I saw on McKenna's Instagram that you've got a new grandchild, so you can be a grandpa for a while, too.

A: I'm a grandpa and I'm a great-grandpa. My son made me a great-grandpa. So yeah, that's another thing. I would really love to spend more time with the kids, the grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

I didn't get much of a chance to do that. When we were young, my first wife, Karen, if there was a birthday or an anniversary or something, but we were booked to do the Ed Sullivan show, I would say, 'Honey, I can't be here for the birthday. I have to go — or actually, I get to go to Ed Sullivan.' I said, 'But the minute it's more important than that, I will be here.'

She passed away in '76, and my son was 10 years old and there was nobody but me. So I took time off to go raise my son, because I promised Karen that's what I would do. It was important to do that. Instead of being Bill Righteous, I was Darrin's dad. It was very cool.

Q: What's a Righteous Brothers show like on these final dates?

A: The Righteous Brothers were always, well, certainly old-school now, but we were a little old-school even when we started, because we were a couple of years older than say the Beach Boys and the Beatles. So we would do a lot of humor. And the reason is because the songs that we had hits with were such dramatic ballads that we tried to lighten it up.

So the show is pretty much the same thing. We do all the hits, and a couple of surprises. The thing I love to hear the most is when we go out and sign autographs and they say, 'Boy, I didn't expect that.' I hope they mean it in a good way,

Q: I'm sure they mean it in a good way.

A: I think so. Well, they were smiling.

The Righteous Brothers

Thursday, Jan. 18: Smothers Theatre, Pepperdine University, Malibu. Show is at 8 p.m. Tickets are $47.50-$90.

Friday, Jan. 19: Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, Indio. Show is 8 p.m. Tickets are $39-$59.

For more: Go to Righteousbrothers.com/events for more information including tickets.

(c)2024 The Whittier Daily News, Calif. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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We’ll be honest — we still get goosebumps when we hear the first few chords of the sublime “Unchained Melody.”

Amazingly, that soulful song made famous by The Righteous Brothers nearly 60 years ago, can still be heard live by the group in 2023.

The Righteous Brothers , comprised of 82-year-old original member Bill Medley along with Bobby Hatfield’s replacement Bucky Heard, have 32 huge concerts in 2023 from April through October.

That includes gigs in North Tonawanda, NY’s Riviera Theater on May 4, Englewood, NJ’s Bergen Performing Arts Center on May 17, Chester, NY’s Sugar Loaf Performing Arts Center on May 18, Red Bank, NJ’s Hackensack Meridian Health Theatre on Aug. 17 and Atlantic City’s Golden Nugget on Aug. 19.

And if you haven’t lost that lovin’ feelin’, you can grab tickets for righteous prices .

At the time of publication, we found some seats going for as low as $53 before fees on Vivid Seats.

That’s a more than fair price to see Rock and Roll Hall of Famers live .

Want to re-live all the hits in person from the guys that brought you the soundtracks to “Dirty Dancing” and “Top Gun?”

Here’s everything you need to know to “have the time of your life.”

All prices listed above are subject to fluctuation.

Righteous Brothers 2023 tour schedule

Since 2021, The Righteous Brothers have been playing live all over North America.

Just a few of their most notable shows not in New York or New Jersey this year are stops in Canton, OH on May 7, Plymouth, MA on May 12, Lancaster, PA on Aug. 20, Fort Wayne, IN on Oct. 7, and of course, many, many Las Vegas shows .

A complete calendar including all 32 upcoming tour dates, venues and links to buy tickets can be found here .

Righteous Brothers set list

Over 60 years deep into their storied career where they opened for both The Beatles and The Rolling Stones (!), The Righteous Brothers mostly stick to the hits and classic covers these days.

Here’s what you’ll likely hear at an upcoming show of theirs courtesy of Set List FM .

01.) “Let the Good Times Roll” (Shirley & Lee cover)

02.) “Hold On, I’m Comin'” (Sam and Dave cover) 03.) “Just Once in My Life” 04.) “Little Latin Lupe Lu” 05.) “(You’re My) Soul and Inspiration” (Barry Mann cover) 06.) “Rock and Roll Heaven” (Climax feat. Sonny Geraci cover) 07.) “Crying” (Roy Orbison cover) 08.) “Young Blood” (The Coasters cover) 09.) “Unchained Melody” (Hy Zaret & Alex North cover)

10.) “Great Getting Up Morning” (Duke Ellington & Mahalia Jackson cover)

11.) “Ebb Tide” (Carl Sigman cover) 12.) “Koko Joe”

13.) “Bridge Over Troubled Water / Lean on Me” 14.) “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” (Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes cover)

15.) “California Dreamin'” (The Mamas & the Papas cover)

16.) “This Will Be the Last Time” (Bill Medley song)

17.) “Nessun dorma” (Giacomo Puccini cover) (Bucky Heard sings in Italian)

18.) “Johnny B. Goode” (Chuck Berry cover) 19.) “Rock Me Baby” (B.B. King cover) 20.) “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin'” (Barry Mann cover)

Classic acts on tour in 2023

Many crooners that dominated AM and FM radio in the late 20th century are still on the road in their advanced age.

Here are just five of our favorite acts you own’t want to miss live these next few months.

•  Englebert Humperdinck

•  Ringo Starr and his All Starr Band

• Billy Joel with Stevie Nicks

•  John Fogerty

•  Smokey Robinson

Want to see who else over retirement age is touring these days? Check out our list of the 19 biggest stars over 80 on tour in 2023 here .

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Bill Medley

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Awesome night filled with humor, candid chat, brilliant music and great old rock and roll and blues. Bill continues to be the best and gives 110% . Recovering from a cold didn't stop him. Band in its own is incredible. Gabe Rabben, Larry Hanson, Tim Lee, Jamie Browning and Bill's lovely daughter, Mckenna on vocals. At 73, he's still got it. What's really special is he wants to meet and greet afterwards. He takes time for his fans.

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Saw Bill Medley in Durant Ok on Sept 19th he was very entertaining he sang a couple of Ray Charles' songs and rocked it out of the park! I was disappointed he didn't sing more of his own songs his daughter has a great voice! he still has it at age 75! Voice was a little hoarse but he still has it! Could move around like a kid just wish he had sung more of Righteous Brothers tunes

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Bill Medley of the Righteous Brothers talks farewell tour ahead of Fantasy Springs show

“the traveling has beaten everybody up,” medley said. “i always say, ‘you’re paying me to travel, not do a show.’.

Bill Medley of the Righteous Brothers enjoys a prestigious status in rock ‘n’ roll. The songs “You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling” and “Unchained Melody” are the epitome of timeless classics and have remained significant in American pop culture for six decades.

Along with the late Bobby Hatfield, the Righteous Brothers recorded songs using Phil Spector’s “Wall of Sound” method and toured around the globe several times. Medley has sung everything from soul to country music.

“I’ve been there, done that, got the t-shirt and burned it,” Medley said during a recent interview with The Desert Sun.

Even though Medley still enjoys performing at 83, he is ready to enjoy semi-retirement, and is embarking on the “Thank You Farewell Tour” with vocalist Bucky Heard, who has been sharing the stage with him since 2003.

The Righteous Brothers will start the tour on Jan. 19 at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino

Musicians, like most artists, find retiring difficult

Does any musician ever really retire? Medley doesn’t believe he can, and plans to “stay artistically busy” away from touring.

“The traveling has beaten everybody up,” Medley said. “I always say, ‘You’re paying me to travel, not do a show.’ It’s great performing in towns where people want to hear these songs, and it’s been a real blessing to do that, but the traveling will stop.”

Even though there’s demand for The Righteous Brothers, the current business model for every successful band or music artist requires continuous touring. Medley was recently asked to record a country music tribute album and feels hesitant because record sales are dismal, even for successful modern artists.

“When they asked me if I wanted to do this album, I said, ‘Why? How are you going to get paid back?’ It’s odd. These kids make money on the road or through merchandise, but to get started, you have to make those deals with the record company that gives them a part of your publishing and merchandise. This is a different day and thank God I don’t have to live on that day,” Medley said.

The Wall of Sound

During the 1960s, the singers became renowned for combining Medley’s bass-baritone vocals with Hatfield singing tenor, which created distinctive harmonies and an evocative mood in the duo’s ballads. Following Hatfield’s death in 2003, Medley continued performing as The Righteous Brothers with vocalist Bucky Heard.

Spector’s production of “You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling” using the Wall of Sound, which uses multiple instrumentalists performing in the same recording studio all playing at once to create a richer sound, has been criticized for technical issues such as audio clarity, excessive compression, and obvious musician errors on some recordings.

Medley said four guitars were doing the same thing, each with an exclusive sound. When he heard one playing what sounded like Marty Robbins’ “El Paso,” he mentioned it to Spector, but was astounded by how it merged into the song.

"It was a different way of recording back then, it was a ‘wall of sound’ and fun to sing with, I must say that," Medley said. "I don’t know if there are any mistakes in ‘You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling,’ (but) if there are, I would like to know what they are, because I’d like to do them again. It seems perfect to me."

'The best blues you can do is a good, sad country song'

Artists such as Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson, ZZ Top, Elton John, Morrissey and more have named The Righteous Brothers as an influence. “You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling” was also recorded by Dionne Warwick, Hall & Oates, Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazlewood, Elvis Presley and more.

“Bobby and I were influenced, and you need to be influenced by somebody. It’s always an honor when they do your songs and get a hit,” Medley said. “It surprises us every time after the show when we go out to sign autographs and you hear a lot of stories and know how your music influenced people or helped them through something. Other singers will come to the show, talk to us, and ask a lot of questions. And, I mean, young guys who are 20.”

Medley said when he was a teenager, country and blues were the rock ‘n’ roll of the time, and radio stations played everything from George Jones to Little Richard before the music became “specialized” during the 1960s.

“The best blues you can do is a good, sad country song like ‘Born to Lose’ or ‘I Can’t Stop Loving You.’ Those are lyrically and melodically a little better, or more interesting. I still love to sing flat-out blues, but country is the rock ‘n’ roll of today,” Medley said.

“I suppose ‘Unchained Melody,’ even with The Righteous Brothers, would have been a country hit today, and it has been a country hit two or three times,” Medley said. “The Oak Ridge boys did a couple of our songs and did them country, they sang them the way we sang them, but the tracks were country.”

A 'staple' in Fantasy Springs entertainment lineup for many years

Director of Entertainment at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino Kirk Zaharris said the casino is “privileged to host the kickoff” of The Righteous Brothers’ final tour.

"The Righteous Brothers have been a staple in our entertainment lineup here at Fantasy Springs for years now, and we just love them. Their exceptional talent and timeless performances captivate audiences and have everyone singing along,” Zaharris said.

When asked if starting the tour was part of the plan, Medley, who owned a couple of homes in the local area, said “It just kind of happened that way,” but it is one of their favorite places to perform.  

“God bless them, they have us back every year,” Medley said. “We do really well out there, and we love the desert area and Fantasy Springs.”

What: The Righteous Brothers

When: 8 p.m., Jan. 19

Where: Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, 84-245 Indio Springs Parkway, Indio

How much: $39 to $59

More information: fantasyspringsresort.com

Desert Sun reporter Brian Blueskye covers arts and entertainment. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter at @bblueskye.

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

• Oops! Something went wrong. Please try again later. More content below

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.

WHAT: The Righteous Brothers

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. April 7 WHERE: 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

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Righteous Brother Bill Medley, at 80, has seen it all — just this year

In late May, Bill Medley underwent surgery to remove a cancerous growth from his throat. On June 8, he lost his wife, Paula, after a five-year battle with Parkinson’s disease. The two had been married 35 years.

On the song “This Will Be The Last Time,” Bill Medley sings of the last time he’ll face the blues.

“This’ll be the last time, that I’ll ever, ever have the blues. I’ve got nothin’, nothin’ left to lose.”

The tune is not a wondrous Righteous Brothers hit. It’s not a song that won an Oscar. It’s a somewhat obscure solo effort, powered by Medley’s growling baritone. He performed the song memorably three years ago, to a rapt audience at Myron’s Cabaret Jazz. The tune still in the Righteous Brothers stage show with Bucky Heard at Harrah’s Showroom.

The last time for the blues. When will that be, for Bill Medley? He has wondered himself throughout the pandemic shutdown, and as he turns 80 on Saturday.

Those who hit such milestones usually say age is just a number. Medley doesn’t always agree.

“It’s not just a number,” he says, chuckling during a “PodKats!” interview at his suite at his buddy Michael Gaughan’s South Point hotel-casino.” It’s 80.”

What does it feel like, now that he’s there? Medley pauses.

“Ah, you know what? They’re actually right,” he says. “If this year didn’t happen, if this corona thing didn’t happen, I would swear I was 33.”

Seventeen years after losing his original Righteous Brother, Bobby Hatfield, Medley’s passion for life and zeal for performing remain intact. The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer maintains his upbeat and positive demeanor, despite the lingering shutdown and some daunting challenges in a year filled with such.

In late May, Medley underwent surgery to remove a cancerous growth from his throat, a scalpel invading a couple of inches from the instrument that has made him a rock ‘n’ roll legend.

On June 8, Medley lost his wife, Paula, after a five-year battle with Parkinson’s disease. The two had been married 35 years.

Usually, Medley’s therapy in recovering from such real-life episodes is to simply sing through it, at Harrah’s and on the road. His method has been to sing the blues, as to recover from them.

But Medley has been out of work for the longest period since he’s been a full-time performer, covering 60 years, discounting a semi-retirement from the music business in the mid-1970s.

“I’m like every other performer, probably going a little nuts, not working,” Medley says. “I’ve had a couple of setbacks. But other than my wife passing a way, it would all be OK if I could go to work.”

Medley’s vocal concerns likely would have pulled him from the stage anyway, at least for a few weeks. In the spring he felt “something was weird” with his voice.” His physicians detected a growth that looked like a tonsil growing back. It turned out to be a cancerous tumor.

“So they went in, through my throat, and took that out and they cut literally a 3- to 4-inch gap in my throat to get some lymph nodes to find out if it spread,” Medley says. “But it wasn’t on my chords or anything, and I am cancer free now.”

Medley is actually able to sing higher than he has in years. His vocal coach has coaxed him up to a high C. “Who needs to go up there?” the classic baritone says. “I pay Bucky to go up there.”

Less than three weeks later, Medley’s wife, Paula, lost her battle with Parkinson’s at the family’s home in Nashville. Medley felt he had prepared emotionally for Paula’s passing, but it hit him hard, and fast.

“It was an ass-kicking for me,” he says. “I obviously had thought about it, and thought … this will sound really crappy, but I thought, well in some ways she’ll get what she wanted, and I’ll be free to go anywhere, do anything. But boy, the minute she passed away that just left my mind.

“I mean, she was such a huge partner in my life, and you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone.”

Paula had made it clear to her husband she was ready to leave this life.

“Oh, absolutely. She said, ‘I want to go home. I want to go have dinner with my dad,’” Medley says, shaking his head. “I knew what that meant, you know, because she would keep asking me, ‘Why is this happening to me? What did I do?’ and that’s a really interesting question to watch this happen to somebody who was a wonderful lady, a wonderful lady. It just seemed cruel to me. I’m a spiritual guy. I’m not blaming God or anybody, but it just felt cruel to me.”

Medley and Heard, today’s Righteous Brothers, have been working this month, virtually, in a four-week series of streaming shows out of The Space. The next is 6 p.m. Tuesday. Such celeb friends as Paul Shaffer, John Stamos, Brad Garrett and Tony Orlando have joined the duo in a Zoom format. Mike Love of the Beach Boys is set to join the show at 6 p.m. Tuesday.

Heard has been in the act since 2015, when Medley discovered him in “Legends in Concert” in Branson, Mo. Heard was half of another “brothers” act, the Blues Brothers, and also sang in a Journey tribute band. When Medley heard that, he took in Heard’s rock show, feeling he’d fail because he never heard him really sing.

Heard instead blew him away, and the Righteous Brothers have been resurrected.

“When Bill came backstage, I just reacted by getting up from my chair, like if you were in the military and a colonel walks in, you stand at attention,” Heard says. “I look over and see him onstage and I still can’t believe I am singing with him. But he is a real dude, a really great man. Once you’ve been around Bill, you kind of fall in love with him, because he is Bill.”

In the Space series, the two have pre-recorded the such highlighted in the Harrah’s show as, “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling,” “Soul and Inspiration”, “Rock and Roll Heaven” and “Unchained Melody.” Medley also duets with his daughter, McKenna, on “(I’ve Had” The Time of My Life”), the monster hit and Academy Award-winning song from “Dirty Dancing.

Medley has stories for days, of course. He and Hatfield opened for The Beatles on their first U.S. Tour in 1964. Medley, who has a reliably sharp sense of humor, often says, “It was amazing to walk out on stage to 15,000 people screaming at you, ‘We want the Beatles!’ ”

He also recalls, “We found out later that a lot of our albums were being played all these groups like the Rolling Stones and The Beatles were listening to our albums, they were kind of garage bands. I think we got paid $750 a week, and we split that.”

Medley became friends with Elvis in his days at the International and Las Vegas Hilton. The two shared a love for motorcycles, which Medley had raced as a kid in Orange County. Presley also covered “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling” and “Unchained Melody” in his Vegas days.

“Elvis was great once you got to him,” Medley says. “It’s like so many of us in entertainment, we’re good people once you are one-on-one. Elvis was like that.”

The Righteous Brothers were the first rock ‘n’ roll act to headline the Sands, in 1965. The duo held residency in the lounge.

“We had to be approved by Frank Sinatra, because he had to host people at the hotel,” Medley says. “He liked the Righteous Brothers, so we got to know all the Rat Pack guys in those days.”

Medley lost Hatfield in 2003, during the first night of a tour in Kalamazoo, Mich. His was a peaceful, if random, passing.

“They went in and they found Bobby on his bed, obviously he didn’t go through any pain, he was laying there with the clicker still in his hand and the TV was on,” Medley says. “We obviously had to cancel the show, and I brought the band back to the hotel.”

There, Medley held court in a banquet room. “I bought everybody dinner and we just sat there and told war stories about Bobby, and it was really good to do because we got to laugh a lot. Bobby was an incredibly funny guy and had an incredible sense of humor.”

Medley grins at the retelling. He offers the very beginnings of the Righteous Brothers, near the duo’s hometown of Santa Ana, Calif.

“Bobby and I knew a lot of the Marines at El Toro Marine Base, a lot of the Black Marines heard there were these two white guys down at the nightclub signing rhythm and blues and so they started coming down and they really loved it,” he says. “They couldn’t believe that we were white. But, if you had a really nice car they might just say, ‘Boy that is a righteous looking car. If they liked you as a friend, it was ‘brother.’

“Somehow, it caught on, and Bobby said, ‘Let’s just call ourselves what the Marines have been calling us.’ ”

And at age 80, ready to sing again, the founding member is forever righteous.

John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. His “PodKats!” podcast can be found at reviewjournal.com/podcasts . Contact him at [email protected]. Follow @johnnykats on Twitter, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.

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October 7, 2023

The Righteous Brothers Bill Medley And Bucky Heard

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame duo The Righteous Brothers topped the charts in four decades. Now, Bill Medley joins forces with one of the most versatile vocalists in America, Bucky Heard, to bring the Righteous Brothers back to the stage.

The Righteous Brothers concert experience features a string of their biggest #1 hits, including You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ (the most played song in radio history), Soul & Inspiration, Unchained Melody, Rock and Roll Heaven, Medley’s Grammy-winning Dirty Dancing theme The Time of My Life, and much, much more!

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5 Things We’d Like to See on Shakira’s ‘Las Mujeres Ya No lloran’ Tour: The Dream Setlist & More

Shakira announced she's hitting the road in 2024. Here's what we hope to see in concert.

By Jessica Roiz

Jessica Roiz

Assistant Editor, Latin

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Shakira did not lie when she announced on social media: “se viene la loba” (the she wolf is coming). The Colombian superstar unveiled the dates to the North American leg of her 2024 Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran tour on Tuesday (April 16), just on the heels of revealing the big news during her surprise stop at Coachella over the weekend. 

The tour, in support of her new album of the same name, will kick off Nov. 2 in Palm Desert, California, and wrap on Dec. 15 in Detroit, Michigan. During the 14-arena trek, she will also visit Los Angeles, Miami, and New York City, to name a few. (Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. local time on April 22, here ).

Shakira first shared the news on Friday (April 12) at Coachella, where she was a surprise guest during Bizarrap’s debut performance. Right after performing “La Fuerte” and before singing “Shakira: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53” (her two collaborative efforts with the Argentine hitmaker), she said:  “I have to share something today. Biza, I’m going on tour. I’m going on tour, finally…starting here, this November, this year, this city. I can’t wait. Couldn’t ask for more.” 

The tour — which marks her first since her 2018 El Dorado World Tour — is in support of her 12th studio album, which debuted at No. 1 on the Top Latin Albums and Latin Pop Albums charts (dated April 6), as well as No. 13 on the all-genre Billboard 200 chart.

As we patiently wait for the fall to come around, Billboard has curated five things we would like to see on Shakira’s new tour.

The Grand Opening

If “La Loba se viene” is any indication, it only makes sense that Shakira starts off her concerts performing a bilingual version of “Loba” (“She Wolf”). Her 2009 banger, which entered many Billboard charts, including the Hot 100, Hot Latin Songs and Tropical Songs, is the ultimate dance track perfect to set the mood for the rest of the night. “She Wolf” also represents what Shakira embodies: a woman with strong family values, resilience and strength. Now, if she can arrive singing the song on top of a large wolf on the stage — that’d be extra epic!  

The 1990s Medley

It’s no surprise that Shakira will perform all of her latest hits live for the first time. We’re expecting to sing and dance to songs such as “Te Felicito,” “Monotonía,” “Copa Vacía,” and “Puntería” — all from her Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran album. But we’re also hoping for a ride down memory lane. 

We’re specifically crossing fingers for a throwback medley set — where she will perform some of her melancholy rock tunes from the ‘90s. Our dream version of it would include “Ciega, Sordomuda,” “Ojos Así,” “Estoy Aquí,” “Inevitable,” and “Antologia,” to name a few. 

Surprise Guests

Now, we know Shakira can dominate the stage and sell out arenas on her own, but it would also be nice to see her bring out some surprise guests. Some we would especially like to see her join the stage are Alejandro Sanz, for an epic performance of “La Tortura” and “Te Lo Agradezco Pero No,” Karol G for the ultra-powerful “TQG,” Cardi B for their flirtatious and feel-good “Puntería” — and why not? Beyoncé (“Beautiful Liar”) and/or Rihanna (“Can’t Remember to Forget You”) as well.

Her Talented Offspring

Another sweet moment on the tour would be if Shakira invites her talented sons onstage. The two boys first showed off their singing skills on the heartfelt tune “Acróstico” (third single off Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran ), where they collaborated with their mom. Her older son, Milan, has also been spotted on social media performing with his school band, where he plays the drums. 

The Grand Finale

And, because Shakira made her tour announcement during Bizarrap’s Coachella set, it only makes sense that she invites him on stage (if possible for the entire tour) to close off the show with their 2023 banger “Shakira: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53.” The track peaked at No. 9 on the Hot 100 and landed at No. 2 on both the Billboard Global 200 and the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts. It also ruled the Hot Latin Songs chart, scoring Shakira her 12th leader on the tally.

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Claudia Looi

Touring the Top 10 Moscow Metro Stations

By Claudia Looi 2 Comments

Komsomolskaya metro station looks like a museum. It has vaulted ceilings and baroque decor.

Hidden underground, in the heart of Moscow, are historical and architectural treasures of Russia. These are Soviet-era creations – the metro stations of Moscow.

Our guide Maria introduced these elaborate metro stations as “the palaces for the people.” Built between 1937 and 1955, each station holds its own history and stories. Stalin had the idea of building beautiful underground spaces that the masses could enjoy. They would look like museums, art centers, concert halls, palaces and churches. Each would have a different theme. None would be alike.

The two-hour private tour was with a former Intourist tour guide named Maria. Maria lived in Moscow all her life and through the communist era of 60s to 90s. She has been a tour guide for more than 30 years. Being in her 60s, she moved rather quickly for her age. We traveled and crammed with Maria and other Muscovites on the metro to visit 10 different metro stations.

Arrow showing the direction of metro line 1 and 2

Moscow subways are very clean

To Maria, every street, metro and building told a story. I couldn’t keep up with her stories. I don’t remember most of what she said because I was just thrilled being in Moscow.   Added to that, she spilled out so many Russian words and names, which to one who can’t read Cyrillic, sounded so foreign and could be easily forgotten.

The metro tour was the first part of our all day tour of Moscow with Maria. Here are the stations we visited:

1. Komsomolskaya Metro Station  is the most beautiful of them all. Painted yellow and decorated with chandeliers, gold leaves and semi precious stones, the station looks like a stately museum. And possibly decorated like a palace. I saw Komsomolskaya first, before the rest of the stations upon arrival in Moscow by train from St. Petersburg.

2. Revolution Square Metro Station (Ploshchad Revolyutsii) has marble arches and 72 bronze sculptures designed by Alexey Dushkin. The marble arches are flanked by the bronze sculptures. If you look closely you will see passersby touching the bronze dog's nose. Legend has it that good luck comes to those who touch the dog's nose.

Touch the dog's nose for good luck. At the Revolution Square station

Revolution Square Metro Station

3. Arbatskaya Metro Station served as a shelter during the Soviet-era. It is one of the largest and the deepest metro stations in Moscow.

Arbatskaya Metro Station

4. Biblioteka Imeni Lenina Metro Station was built in 1935 and named after the Russian State Library. It is located near the library and has a big mosaic portrait of Lenin and yellow ceramic tiles on the track walls.

Lenin's portrait at the Biblioteka Imeni Lenina Metro Station

5. Kievskaya Metro Station was one of the first to be completed in Moscow. Named after the capital city of Ukraine by Kiev-born, Nikita Khruschev, Stalin's successor.

Kievskaya Metro Station

6. Novoslobodskaya Metro Station  was built in 1952. It has 32 stained glass murals with brass borders.

Novoslobodskaya metro station

7. Kurskaya Metro Station was one of the first few to be built in Moscow in 1938. It has ceiling panels and artwork showing Soviet leadership, Soviet lifestyle and political power. It has a dome with patriotic slogans decorated with red stars representing the Soviet's World War II Hall of Fame. Kurskaya Metro Station is a must-visit station in Moscow.

Ceiling panel and artworks at Kurskaya Metro Station

8. Mayakovskaya Metro Station built in 1938. It was named after Russian poet Vladmir Mayakovsky. This is one of the most beautiful metro stations in the world with 34 mosaics painted by Alexander Deyneka.

Mayakovskaya station

One of the over 30 ceiling mosaics in Mayakovskaya metro station

9. Belorusskaya Metro Station is named after the people of Belarus. In the picture below, there are statues of 3 members of the Partisan Resistance in Belarus during World War II. The statues were sculpted by Sergei Orlov, S. Rabinovich and I. Slonim.

10. Teatralnaya Metro Station (Theatre Metro Station) is located near the Bolshoi Theatre.

Teatralnaya Metro Station decorated with porcelain figures .

Taking the metro's escalator at the end of the tour with Maria the tour guide.

Have you visited the Moscow Metro? Leave your comment below.

January 15, 2017 at 8:17 am

An excellent read! Thanks for much for sharing the Russian metro system with us. We're heading to Moscow in April and exploring the metro stations were on our list and after reading your post, I'm even more excited to go visit them. Thanks again 🙂

December 6, 2017 at 10:45 pm

Hi, do you remember which tour company you contacted for this tour?

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Description

Moscow metro private tours.

• 2-hour tour $87:  10 Must-See Moscow Metro stations with hotel pick-up and drop-off
• 3-hour tour $137:  20 Must-See Moscow Metro stations with Russian lunch in beautifully-decorated Metro Diner + hotel pick-up and drop off. 
• Metro pass is included in the price of both tours.

Highlight of Metro Tour

• Visit 10 must-see stations of Moscow metro on 2-hr tour and 20 Metro stations on 3-hr tour, including grand Komsomolskaya station with its distinctive Baroque décor, aristocratic Mayakovskaya station with Soviet mosaics, legendary Revolution Square station with 72 bronze sculptures and more!
• Explore Museum of Moscow Metro and learn a ton of technical and historical facts;
• Listen to the secrets about the Metro-2, a secret line supposedly used by the government and KGB;
• Experience a selection of most striking features of Moscow Metro hidden from most tourists and even locals;
• Discover the underground treasure of Russian Soviet past – from mosaics to bronzes, paintings, marble arches, stained glass and even paleontological elements;
• Learn fun stories and myths about Coffee Ring, Zodiac signs of Moscow Metro and more;
• Admire Soviet-era architecture of pre- and post- World War II perious;
• Enjoy panoramic views of Sparrow Hills from Luzhniki Metro Bridge – MetroMost, the only station of Moscow Metro located over water and the highest station above ground level;
• If lucky, catch a unique «Aquarelle Train» – a wheeled picture gallery, brightly painted with images of peony, chrysanthemums, daisies, sunflowers and each car unit is unique;
• Become an expert at navigating the legendary Moscow Metro system;
• Have fun time with a very friendly local;
• + Atmospheric Metro lunch in Moscow’s the only Metro Diner (included in a 3-hr tour)

Hotel Pick-up

Metro stations:.

Komsomolskaya

Novoslobodskaya

Prospekt Mira

Belorusskaya

Mayakovskaya

Novokuznetskaya

Revolution Square

Sparrow Hills

+ for 3-hour tour

Victory Park

Slavic Boulevard

Vystavochnaya

Dostoevskaya

Elektrozavodskaya

Partizanskaya

Museum of Moscow Metro

• Drop-off  at your hotel, Novodevichy Convent, Sparrow Hills or any place you wish
• + Russian lunch  in Metro Diner with artistic metro-style interior for 3-hour tour

Fun facts from our Moscow Metro Tours:

From the very first days of its existence, the Moscow Metro was the object of civil defense, used as a bomb shelter, and designed as a defense for a possible attack on the Soviet Union.

At a depth of 50 to 120 meters lies the second, the coded system of Metro-2 of Moscow subway, which is equipped with everything you need, from food storage to the nuclear button.

According to some sources, the total length of Metro-2 reaches over 150 kilometers.

The Museum was opened on Sportivnaya metro station on November 6, 1967. It features the most interesting models of trains and stations.

Coffee Ring

The first scheme of Moscow Metro looked like a bunch of separate lines. Listen to a myth about Joseph Stalin and the main brown line of Moscow Metro.

Zodiac Metro

According to some astrologers, each of the 12 stops of the Moscow Ring Line corresponds to a particular sign of the zodiac and divides the city into astrological sector.

Astrologers believe that being in a particular zadiac sector of Moscow for a long time, you attract certain energy and events into your life.

Paleontological finds 

Red marble walls of some of the Metro stations hide in themselves petrified inhabitants of ancient seas. Try and find some!

• Every day each car in  Moscow metro passes  more than 600 km, which is the distance from Moscow to St. Petersburg.
• Moscow subway system is the  5th in the intensity  of use (after the subways of Beijing, Tokyo, Seoul and Shanghai).
• The interval in the movement of trains in rush hour is  90 seconds .

What you get:

• + A friend in Moscow.
• + Private & customized Moscow tour.
• + An exciting pastime, not just boring history lessons.
• + An authentic experience of local life.
• + Flexibility during the walking tour: changes can be made at any time to suit individual preferences.
• + Amazing deals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the very best cafes & restaurants. Discounts on weekdays (Mon-Fri).
• + A photo session amongst spectacular Moscow scenery that can be treasured for a lifetime.
• + Good value for souvenirs, taxis, and hotels.
• + Expert advice on what to do, where to go, and how to make the most of your time in Moscow.

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Spatial Variations of the Activity of 137 Cs and the Contents of Heavy Metals and Petroleum Products in the Polluted Soils of the City of Elektrostal

• DEGRADATION, REHABILITATION, AND CONSERVATION OF SOILS
• Open access
• Published: 15 June 2022
• Volume 55 , pages 840–848, ( 2022 )

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• D. N. Lipatov 1 ,
• V. A. Varachenkov 1 ,
• D. V. Manakhov 1 ,
• M. M. Karpukhin 1 &
• S. V. Mamikhin 1  

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The levels of specific activity of 137 Cs and the contents of mobile forms (1 M ammonium acetate extraction) of heavy metals (Zn, Cu, Ni, Co, Cr, Pb) and petroleum products were studied in the upper soil horizon of urban landscapes of the city of Elektrostal under conditions of local radioactive and chemical contamination were studied. In the soils within a short radius (0–100 m) around the heavy engineering plant, the specific activity of 137 Cs and the contents of mobile forms of Pb, Cu, and Zn were increased. The lognormal distribution law of 137 Cs was found in the upper (0–10 cm) soil layer; five years after the radiation accident, the specific activity of 137 Cs varied from 6 to 4238 Bq/kg. The coefficients of variation increased with an increase in the degree of soil contamination in the following sequence: Co < Ni < petroleum products < Cr < 137 Cs < Zn < Pb < Cu ranging from 50 to 435%. Statistically significant direct correlation was found between the specific activity of 137 Cs and the contents of mobile forms of Pb, Cu, and Zn in the upper horizon of urban soils, and this fact indicated the spatial conjugacy of local spots of radioactive and polymetallic contamination in the studied area. It was shown that the specific activity of 137 Cs, as well as the content of heavy metals and petroleum products in the upper layer (0–10 cm) of the soils disturbed in the course of decontamination, earthwork and reclamation is reduced.

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INTRODUCTION

Contaminants migrate and accumulate in urban ecosystems under the impact of both natural and technogenic factors. The processes of technogenic migration of 137 Cs are most pronounced in radioactively contaminated territories. It was found in urboecological studies that the intensity of sedimentation of aerosol particles containing radionuclides and heavy metals is determined by the types of the surfaces of roofs, walls, roads, lawns, and parks and by their position within the urban wind field [ 12 , 26 ]. Traffic in the cities results in significant transport of dust and associated contaminants and radionuclides [ 15 , 24 ]. During decontamination measures in the areas of Chernobyl radioactive trace, not only the decrease in the level of contamination but also the possibility of secondary radioactive contamination because of the transportation of contaminated soil particles by wind or water, or anthropogenic transfer of transferring of ground were observed [ 5 , 6 ]. Rainstorm runoff and hydrological transport of dissolved and colloidal forms of 137 Cs can result in the accumulation of this radionuclide in meso- and microdepressions, where sedimentation takes place [ 10 , 16 ]. Different spatial distribution patterns of 137 Cs in soils of particular urban landscapes were found in the city of Ozersk near the nuclear fuel cycle works [ 17 ]. Natural character of 137 Cs migration in soils of Moscow forest-parks and a decrease in its specific activity in industrial areas have been revealed [ 10 ]. Determination of the mean level and parameters of spatial variations of 137 Cs in soils is one of primary tasks of radioecological monitoring of cities, including both unpolluted (background) and contaminated territories.

Emissions and discharges from numerous sources of contamination can cause the accumulation of a wide range of toxicants in urban soils: heavy metals (HMs), oil products (OPs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and other chemical substances. Soil contamination by several groups of toxicants is often observed in urban landscapes [ 20 , 23 ] because of the common contamination source or close pathways of the migration of different contaminants. A comprehensive analysis of contamination of urban soils by radionuclides and heavy metals has been performed in some studies [ 21 , 25 ]. The determination of possible spatial interrelationships between radioactive and chemical contaminations in urban soils is an important problem in urban ecology.

A radiation accident took place in the Elektrostal heavy engineering works (EHEW) in April 2013: a capacious source of 137 Cs entered the smelt furnace, and emission of radioactive aerosols from the aerating duct into the urban environment took place. The activity of molten source was estimated at about 1000–7000 Ci [ 14 ]. The area of contamination in the territory of the plant reached 7500 m 2 . However, radioactive aerosols affected a much larger area around the EHEW, including Krasnaya and Pervomaiskaya streets, and reached Lenin Prospect.

Geochemical evaluation of contamination of the upper soil horizon in the city of Elektrostal was carried out in 1989–1991. This survey indicated the anomalies of concentrations of wolfram, nickel, molybdenum, chromium, and other heavy metals related to accumulation of alloying constituent and impurities of non-ferrous metals in the emissions of steelmaking works [ 19 ].

The aim of our work was to determine the levels of specific activity of 137 Cs, concentrations of mobile forms of heavy metals (Zn, Cu, Ni, Co, Cr, and Pb) and oil products in the upper soil horizons in different urban landscapes of the city of Elektrostal under the conditions of local radioactive and chemical contamination.

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Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991, Moscow, Russia

D. N. Lipatov, V. A. Varachenkov, D. V. Manakhov, M. M. Karpukhin & S. V. Mamikhin

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Correspondence to D. N. Lipatov .

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Open Access. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons license, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons license and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ .

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Lipatov, D.N., Varachenkov, V.A., Manakhov, D.V. et al. Spatial Variations of the Activity of 137 Cs and the Contents of Heavy Metals and Petroleum Products in the Polluted Soils of the City of Elektrostal. Eurasian Soil Sc. 55 , 840–848 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1134/S1064229322060072

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Received : 21 October 2021

Revised : 22 December 2021

Accepted : 30 December 2021

Published : 15 June 2022

Issue Date : June 2022

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1134/S1064229322060072

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CBS is apologizing for a timing mixup that cut off the final moments of a Billy Joel concert special for many viewers Sunday night.

Viewers in the Eastern and Central time zones missed the final two minutes of Billy Joel: The 100th — Live at Madison Square Garden when the program cut abruptly to local news telecasts. Joel was singing the final verse of “Piano Man” when the screen went black and then cut to local newscasts.

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The special, initially scheduled for 9 p.m. ET Sunday, was pushed back by about a half-hour in the eastern half of the country after the network’s coverage of the Masters golf tournament ran into primetime. A CBS News special report also aired before the start of 60 Minutes .

Social media reaction to the mixup was, unsurprisingly, not kind to CBS. One representative post on X rewrote the chorus of “Piano Man” as, “Sing us a half-song, you’re the Piano Man/Sing us a half-song tonight/’Cause we all heard part of a melody/And CBS producers aren’t bright.”

Billy Joel: The 100th was taped in March and marked the singer-songwriter’s 100th consecutive performance at Madison Square Garden.

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