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TL;DR:

  • A famous singer loves Elvis Presley’s version of a Righteous Brothers song.
  • Elvis performed the song shortly before his death.
  • The track was a hit.
Elvis Presley holding a microphone
Elvis Presley | NBC / Contributor

Elvis Presley‘s songs mean different things to different people. For example, a famous singer said the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll‘s cover of a Righteous Brothers song is poignant. Notably, Elvis sang the song to his friends shortly before his death.

A member of a modern band named his favorite Elvis Presley song

Dan Smith is the lead singer of the band Bastille. During a 2022 interview with Grammy.com, he discussed learning about Elvis’ life with his band. “We were recently on tour in Memphis and lucky enough to go on a private tour of Graceland,” he revealed.

“I’d always thought Elvis’ performance of ‘Unchained Melody’ had some real emotional resonance, but being shown the piano that he sang it on to a small collection of his friends on the night that he passed away was really powerful,” Smith added.

Bastille’s Dan Smith saw the piano that the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll used when he played the song

Smith gave fans more insight into Elvis’ final hours. “Apparently he’d finished an evening of racquetball and drinks with some of his close companions in Graceland, and his friends asked him to sit and play them some songs before he headed off to bed,” Smith said.

“He sang another song and ‘Unchained Melody,’ and then headed back into the house and upstairs for the final time,” Smith continued. “The piano itself is a modest German upright, but getting to see the thing in the place where he played it that time painted such a vivid picture of those moments.” Smith revealed Elvis’ “Unchained Melody” was his favorite song by the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll.

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How The Righteous Brothers’ ‘Unchained Melody’ and Elvis Presley’s version performed on the charts in the United States

Many artists performed “Unchained Melody.” The most famous version of the song is The Righteous Brothers’. The Righteous Brothers’ “Unchained Melody” reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100, staying on the chart for 57 weeks. The track appeared on the album Just Once in My Life. The album reached No. 9 on the Billboard 200 and stayed on the chart for 41 weeks.

Elvis’ version of “Unchained Melody” wasn’t as popular. It reached No. 6 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart, lasting on the chart for 11 weeks. His cover appeared on the album Moody Blue, which peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200. The album stayed on the chart for 31 weeks.

“Unchained Melody” is a classic song and it has a notable connection to Elvis’ death.

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