The Righteous Brothers were the musical duo of Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield. They recorded from 1963 through 1975, and continued to perform until Hatfield's death in 2003. Their emotive vocal stylings were sometimes dubbed "blue-eyed soul".

Medley and Hatfield both possessed exceptional vocal talent, with range, control and tone that helped them create a strong and distinctive duet sound and also to perform as soloists. Medley sang the low parts with his deep, soulful bass, with Hatfield taking the higher register vocals with his soaring tenor.

They adopted their name in 1962 while performing together in the Los Angeles area as part of a five-member group called The Paramours, which featured John Wimber (who was much later one of the founders of the Vineyard Movement) on keyboards. At the end of one particular performance, a U.S. Marine in the audience shouted, "That was righteous, brothers!", prompting the pair to adopt the name when they embarked on a career as a duo.

John Wimber (then as Johnny Wimber) brought Bobby Hatfield and Bill Medley together for the band the Paramours in 1962. The Righteous Brothers started their recording career on the small Moonglow label in 1963 with two albums and two moderate hits: "Little Latin Lupe Lu" and "My Babe".

Robert Lee "Bobby" Hatfield (August 10, 1940 – November 5, 2003) was an American singer, best known as one half of the Righteous Brothers.

Hatfield was born in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, and moved with his family to Anaheim, California when he was four. A 1958 graduate of Anaheim High School, he sang in the school choir and played baseball. 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 would eventually encounter his singing partner Bill Medley while attending California State University Long Beach. Hatfield is an alumnus of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.

Hatfield had a short marriage with Joy Ciro, who appeared as a dancer on the T.A.M.I. Show and Where the Action Is. They had two children together, Bobby, Jr. and Kalin. In 1979, Hatfield married his second wife Linda, and they were happily married for 24 years until he died. They had two children together, Vallyn and Dustin.

Hatfield and Medley began singing as a duo in 1962 in the Los Angeles area as part of a five-member group called the Paramours. They were often told they sounded like African-American gospel singers and named their singing act "The Righteous Brothers" after a fan remarked of their singing, "that's righteous, brothers."