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But farewell doesn鈥檛 mean forever.

On Valentine鈥檚 Day, Friday, Feb. 14, two days before Medley and Heard bring their 鈥淩ighteous Brothers: Lovin鈥� Feelin鈥� Farewell Tour鈥� to on Sunday, Feb. 16, Medley will release his new solo album, 鈥淪traight From The Heart.鈥�

Early reviews have been overwhelmingly positive, which has got the 84-year-old velvety-voiced bass-baritone thinking that he might have jumped the gun on this whole farewell thing.

鈥淚 would love to go out and perform this album,鈥� he said during a phone interview last month. 鈥淚鈥檓 real proud of this album. I鈥檇 be more than happy to go out there and and do that for a couple of years.鈥�

鈥淪traight From The Heart,鈥� a collection of a dozen country ballads featuring guest appearances by a host of big names from Vince Gill and Michael McDonald to Keb鈥� Mo鈥� and Shawn Colvin, is Medley鈥檚 first solo release in a decade and his first-ever country record.

The album includes his renditions of Buck Owens鈥� 鈥淐rying Time,鈥� Garth Brooks鈥� 鈥淭he Dance,鈥� George Jones鈥� 鈥淗e Stopped Loving Her Today鈥� and Hank Williams鈥� 鈥淚鈥檓 So Lonesome I Could Cry.鈥�

鈥淚鈥檓 not a country singer, I just love doing those songs,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 really just wanted to do these songs that I just love, and I love old country songs. I think they鈥檙e for a blues singer. They鈥檙e just the best, best blues you can sing.鈥�

Medley also loves singing the songs he did with his original Righteous Brothers partner Bobby Hatfield. The pair were together a year when they had their first No. 1 hit, 鈥淵ou鈥檝e Lost That Lovin鈥� Feelin鈥欌�� in 1964.

鈥淲e loved, loved, loved the record, but it was way too long, and my voice, I sounded like I was on the wrong speed,鈥� Medley said. 鈥淏ut everything that was wrong with it, I think, kind of made it more important.鈥�

The song became the pair鈥檚 career song that was resurrected more than 20 years later in the 1986 Tom Cruise megahit film 鈥淭op Gun.鈥�

Hollywood has helped keep Medley and The Righteous Brothers in the conversation. The year after 鈥淭op Gun,鈥� Medley鈥檚 duet with Jennifer Warren, 鈥�(I鈥檝e Had) The Time of My Life,鈥� anchored the Patrick Swayze-Jennifer Grey blockbuster film 鈥淒irty Dancing鈥�; in 1990, Hollywood used The Righteous Brothers hit 鈥淯nchained Melody鈥� as the soundtrack for the iconic pottery wheel love scene between Swayze and Demi Moore in 鈥淕host.鈥�

鈥淚t was shocking beyond belief. I mean, to have 鈥楲ovin鈥� Feeling鈥� in 鈥楾op Gun鈥� one year, then the next year they do 鈥楧irty Dancing鈥� and it becomes a monster, and then the next year they do 鈥楪host鈥� with 鈥楿nchained Melody鈥� and we we鈥檙e just hotter than we have ever been,鈥� Medley recalled, his voice giddy with excitement. 鈥淎nd the reason I think it was so impactful, I mean, it wasn鈥檛 like these were just songs that were in the movie. These were songs that were key elements to the movies, and really played into the movies.鈥�

The Righteous Brothers had a string of hit singles going back to 1963, the year they started their partnership, which lasted until Medley went solo in 1968. They reunited in 1974 but hit pause again two years later when Medley鈥檚 first wife, Karen Klaas, was killed and Medley 鈥渞etired鈥� for six years to raise his 10-year-old son. He and Hatfield reunited in the 1980s and performed together off and on until Hatfield鈥檚 2003 death at the age of 63.

Sunday鈥檚 concert will include a few of Medley鈥檚 solo hits sprinkled into those Righteous Brothers songs that he never tires of singing. He loves seeing the audience鈥檚 reaction, including when his daughter, , joins him for 鈥淭ime of My Life.鈥�

鈥淓very time I go on stage, I feel like I鈥檓 25 years old, and it鈥檚 because of the audience,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 think the audience feels like they鈥檙e 25, too. It鈥檚 a real marriage between The Righteous Brothers and the audience.鈥�

Sunday鈥檚 concert begins at 7 p.m. at the Fox, 17 W. Congress St. Tickets are $20 to $99.50 through .