Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic Ray Hildebrand, who topped the pop charts in the 1960s as half of the duo Paul & Paula, died Friday in Kansas City at age 82.
No cause of death has been given. Paul & Paula reached No. 1 in 1963 with the breakout smash “Hey Paula,” written by Hildebrand himself and performed in collaboration with duet partner Jill Jackson under their mutual nom de plume.
The song was released in 1962 and reached the peak of two Billboard charts — the Hot 100 and the Hot R&B Singles chart — in February of the following year.
Their run of success was a short one, as all four of the songs Paul & Paula pushed into the Hot 100 landed there during the calendar year 1963.
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