Now that I’ve got my Hawaiian and Louisiana music collections out of the way it’s time to start putting together my next one together, which will be gospel music from a whole bunch of sources. One of those sources I guarantee will be included will be Elvis, who (at least in my mind) could sing gospel better than anyone, bar none. Here’s just a little taste of how great (and in my mind, how most comfortable) he was singing the music that touched his soul the most.
Along those same lines I came across this concert version of the Righteous Brothers’ Unchained Melody filmed just weeks before his death. Geez, that guy had so much talent – he was the absolute best. Such a waste.
I saw them in concert a few months before Bobby Hatfield died and he hit THAT high note like a rocket. Amazing voices together. The cocaine just exacerbated an already compromised cardiac condition. The toxicology report just said there was cocaine in his system, but cannot state how much. Given that he had significant blockages it is most likely he died in his sleep from a heart attack. The cocaine most likely was not the cause in and of itself. I am not surprised that he was using cocaine to “amp” himself up for the shows, given his age and the tour demands.
Comment by Jana — February 13, 2016 @ 6:22 am
Thanks for the comment, Jana – I would have given my eye teeth to see the Righteous Brothers in concert. But I mean wow, Bobby Hatfield in his 60s doing cocaine. Talk about living a rock n’ roller’s existence. Most people think “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin'” to be Phil Spector’s greatest production (I happen to believe it was “River Deep, Mountain High”) but it’s hard to believe he had to do some serious arm-twisting to get the Righteous Brothers to do that song, and they resented him for it forever after. Oh well, that’s what being a genius is, I guess!
Hope you’re feeling good and all is well!
Comment by The Great White Shank — February 17, 2016 @ 10:01 pm