Medley making music of her own

Monday, Nov. 28, 2005 | 8:49 a.m.

When: 7:30 p.m. Dec. 3-4

Where: Suncoast Showroom

Tickets: $27.50

Information: 636-7075

Some people have all the luck.

McKenna Medley was born beautiful, talented and the daughter of Righteous Brother Bill Medley.

"He never really taught me to sing or anything," Medley said of her father during a recent telephone interview from her home in Costa Mesa, Calif. "If it was up to him, I wouldn't be in the business."

But she is, and Bill Medley has been there to support her -- sometimes putting her in his own show and sometimes appearing in hers.

The first time she performed onstage with her father was when she was 6, at the Nugget Hotel in Reno in 1994.

"I was 12 the first time I opened a show for him," McKenna said.

The 18-year-old vocalist says she doesn't know if he will pop in at her upcoming performances at the Suncoast, scheduled for Dec. 3-4.

But whether he's there or not, she says it will be two fun evenings.

"It's all amazing," Medley said. "I perform with a five-piece band -- just up there jamming."

She said the group will be doing a "Vegas show -- mostly covers of other songs."

But probably not a lot of Righteous Brothers hits.

"What I really like to do is the music I write, sort of rock and soul or pop rock -- and I like the blues and stuff," she said. "I do 'The Time of My Life' with dad all the time, and I'll be doing that one in this show."

But she doesn't consider herself a Righteous Sister.

Although her father and the late Bobby Hatfield (who died two years ago at age 63) may have blazed a trail for her in the music world, she likes to take her own path.

"I'd like to be able to keep going with my original music, get it to where I like it," she said.

Medley's life has been infused with music from the day she was born.

Even though she had a relatively normal childhood growing up in Newport Beach, Calif., outside the influence of show business, (at least about as normal as you can get as the daughter of an icon) she always listened to music.

"Mostly I picked it up on my own, but Dad noticed I had talent when I was very young and he helped me get gigs," she said.

She started headlining at the Suncoast when she was only 15.

She says she performs about 60 engagements a year, in addition to being in the lineup of "Sixty Years of Rock 'n' Roll," a production at the Orange County Pavilion in Anaheim.

She said growing up in the heart of rock 'n' roll instilled in her a deep respect for music.

"I have always had talented people around me," Medley said. "I would go into the studio with my dad when I was growing up -- I even toured with him when I was kid.

"It was so exciting."

It isn't any surprise then that she became a performer.

"I don't think there was ever a time when I didn't want to be a singer," Medley said. "It's always been in me."

Jerry Fink can be reached at 259-4058 or at jerry@lasvegassun.com.