{{short description|American pop music duo}} {{more citations needed|date=October 2009}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Paul & Paula | background = group_or_band | image = Paul & Paula 1963.jpg | caption = Paul & Paula on the cover of ''Cash Box'', 1963 | origin = Brownwood, Texas, U.S. | genre = Pop | years_active = 1962–1965 | label = Philips }}
'''Paul & Paula''', consisting of '''Raymond Glenn''' "'''Ray'''" '''Hildebrand''' (November 21, 1940 – August 18, 2023)<ref name="NYTobi">{{cite news|first=Richard |last=Sandomir|title=Ray Hildebrand, the 'Paul' of Hitmakers Paul and Paula, Dies at 82 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/30/arts/music/ray-hildebrand-dead.html |access-date=September 5, 2023 |newspaper=The New York Times |date=August 30, 2023}}</ref><ref name="Rayobi">{{cite web |url=https://www.amosfamily.com/obituary/Raymond-Hildebrand#:~:text=We%20as%20a%20family%2C%20want%20to%20thank%20Dr.,Church%2C%206701%20Nall%20Ave%2C%20Prairie%20Village%2C%20KS%2066208.|title=Raymond Glenn Hildebrand November 21, 1940 ~ August 18, 2023 (age 82)|access-date=September 5, 2023 |website=The Amos Family Funeral Home & Crematory}}</ref> and '''Jill Jackson''' (born May 20, 1942), were an American pop singing duo, best known for their 1962 million-selling, number-one hit record, "Hey Paula".
==Biography== Hildebrand was born in Joshua, Texas,<ref name="NYTobi"/> and Jackson was born in McCamey, Texas. Both were attending Howard Payne College (now called Howard Payne University) in Brownwood, Texas, in 1962, when a local disc jockey, Riney Jordan, of station KEAN, asked listeners to come to the studio and sing their songs to help the American Cancer Society. The duo sang a song called "Hey Paula," which Hildebrand had written; the lyrics were inspired by a friend of his, Russell Berry, whose fiancée was named Paula.<ref name="auto">Don Newbury, "A Road Less Traveled." ''Odessa (TX) American'', September 30, 2018, p. A7</ref> Jordan decided that Hildebrand and Jackson should record the song, and they did.
Shelby Singleton of Philips Records eventually signed the two, but not before changing their professional names;<ref>Peter Cooper, "Shreveport-Reared Producer Nurtured Artists." ''Shreveport (LA) Times'', October 10, 2009, p. 11.</ref> Singleton reasoned that a pair named Ray and Jill singing about "Hey, hey Paula" and "Hey, hey Paul" did not make sense. "Hey Paula" sold over two million copies globally and was awarded a gold disc by the Recording Industry Association of America in 1963.<ref name="The Book of Golden Discs">{{cite book | first= Joseph | last= Murrells | year= 1978 | title= The Book of Golden Discs | edition= 2nd | publisher= Barrie and Jenkins Ltd | location= London | page= [https://archive.org/details/bookofgoldendisc00murr/page/150 150] | isbn= 0-214-20512-6 | url-access= registration | url= https://archive.org/details/bookofgoldendisc00murr/page/150 }}</ref>
The duo released two regular albums and a Christmas-themed album after the success of "Hey Paula", which charted at number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 for three weeks in February 1963. Their follow-up, "Young Lovers", reached number six on the ''Billboard'' chart later in the same year. In 1963, ''American Bandstand'' signed Paul & Paula to Dick Clark's Caravan of Stars national U.S. tour, which was scheduled to perform its fifteenth show on the night of November 22, 1963, at the Memorial Auditorium in Dallas, Texas, until the event was cancelled after President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas that afternoon.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://rnrhistorian.blogspot.com/2012/06/caravan-of-stars-fall-1963-tour.html|title=A Rock n' Roll Historian: Caravan of Stars Fall 1963 Tour|first=Jerry|last=Fuentes|website=Rnrhistorian.blogspot.com|date=June 4, 2012|access-date=June 14, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBEwdnlDam4 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211213/DBEwdnlDam4 |archive-date=2021-12-13 |url-status=live|title=American Bandstand 1963 -All Time Hits Day- A Little Bit Of Soap, The Jarmels|date=November 10, 2018 |access-date=June 14, 2021|publisher=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref> In 1965, Hildebrand left the act to complete his college education, having decided that a future in show business was not for him.<ref name="auto"/> He made this decision in the middle of another Dick Clark Caravan of Stars road trip, and Clark had to fill in at the last minute. Hildebrand recorded a Christian music album in 1967 called ''He's Everything to Me''. He became best known among Christian music fans for his 1970s hit song "Anybody Here Wanna Live Forever?"<ref>Michael Brooks, "Does Anybody Here Wanna Live Forever?" ''Selma (AL) Times-Journal'', December 15, 2012, p. 6.</ref> Subsequently, Hildebrand joined up with another Christian performer, Paul Land, and during the 1980s and 1990s, they performed comedy and Christian music under the name of Land & Hildebrand.<ref>"Land and Hildebrand to Perform," ''Tampa Bay Times'', November 11, 1995, p. NT 14.</ref>
Jackson went on with a solo career and then married a Los Angeles businessman named Marvin Landon.<ref name="auto"/> After their days as a singing duo, Jill and Ray remained friends, and well into the early 2000s, they occasionally would get together to sing as Paul & Paula for special events, such as oldies shows.<ref>Ken Newton, "Man Looks Back on 'Hey Paula' Whirlwind." ''St. Joseph (MO) News-Press'', February 9, 2018, pp. A1, A8.</ref> In 2002, Hildebrand and Jackson returned to Howard Payne University in Brownwood, Texas,<ref>"Hey Hey Paula," ''Indiana (PA) Gazette'', January 13, 2004, p. 10.</ref> where they were the homecoming guests of honor and grand marshals.
Ray Hildebrand died on August 18, 2023, at the age of 82 of complications from dementia.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Willman |first1=Chris |title=The 'Paul' of 1960s Pop Duo 'Paul & Paula,' Ray Hildebrand, Dies at 82 |url=https://variety.com/2023/music/news/ray-hildebrand-dead-paul-paula-pop-duo-1235700560/ |access-date=20 August 2023 |publisher=Variety |date=19 August 2023}}</ref>
==Discography== ===Albums=== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" ! rowspan="2" |Year ! rowspan="2" |Title ! rowspan="2" |Details ! scope="col" |Peak chart positions |- !<small>US</small><ref name="Paul and Paula">{{Cite magazine|title=Paul and Paula|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/paul-and-paula/|access-date=2021-11-27|magazine=Billboard|language=en-US}}</ref> |- | rowspan="3" |1963 | align="left" |''Paul & Paula Sing for Young Lovers'' | * Released: February 1963 * Label: Philips |— |- | align="left" |''We'll Go Together'' | * Released: July 1963 * Label: Philips |99 |- | align="left" |''Holiday for Teens'' | * Released: September 1963 * Label: Philips |— |- |1995 | align="left" |''Hey Paula – The Best of Paul & Paula'' | * Released: October 1995 * Label: K-tel |— |- |1999 | align="left" |''Greatest Hits'' | * Released: September 1999 * Label: Stardust |— |- | colspan="4" style="font-size:8pt" |"—" denotes releases that did not chart. |}
===Singles=== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" ! rowspan="2" |Year ! rowspan="2" |Title ! colspan="12" |Peak chart positions |- !<small>US</small><br /><ref>{{Cite book|last=Whitburn|first=Joel|title=Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1993|publisher=Record Research|year=1994|isbn=9780898201048|pages=454}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Whitburn|first=Joel|title=Joel Whitburn's Bubbling Under the Hot 100 1959–1981|publisher=Record Research|year=1982|isbn=9780898200478|pages=127}}</ref> !<small>US R&B</small><br /><ref name="Paul and Paula"/> !<small>AUS</small><br/><ref name="Australian Chart Book 1940–1969">{{cite book|last=Kent|first=David|title=Australian Chart Book 1940–1969|title-link=Kent Music Report|publisher=Australian Chart Book Pty Ltd, Turramurra, N.S.W.|year=2005|isbn=0-646-44439-5|author-link=David Kent (historian)}}</ref> !<small>BE (FLA)</small><br /><ref>{{Cite web|title=ultratop.be - ULTRATOP BELGIAN CHARTS|url=https://www.ultratop.be/nl/search.asp?cat=s&from=&to=&artist=paul+&+paula&artist_search=starts&title=&title_search=starts|access-date=2021-11-27|website=www.ultratop.be}}</ref> !<small>BE (WA)</small><br /><ref>{{Cite web|title=ultratop.be - ULTRATOP BELGIAN CHARTS|url=https://www.ultratop.be/fr/search.asp?cat=s&from=&to=&artist=paul+&+paula&artist_search=starts&title=&title_search=starts|access-date=2021-11-27|website=www.ultratop.be}}</ref> !<small>CAN</small><br /><ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=4 February 1963|title=CHUM Hit Parade, week of February 4, 1963|url=http://chumtribute.com/63-02-04-chart.jpg|access-date=27 November 2021|website=chumtribute.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=15 April 1963|title=CHUM Hit Parade, week of April 15, 1963|url=http://chumtribute.com/63-04-15-chart.jpg|access-date=27 November 2021|website=chumtribute.com}}</ref><br><ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=24 June 1963|title=CHUM Hit Parade, week of June 24, 1963|url=http://chumtribute.com/63-06-24-chart.jpg|access-date=27 November 2021|website=chumtribute.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=2 September 1963|title=CHUM Hit Parade, week of September 2, 1963|url=http://chumtribute.com/63-09-02-chart.jpg|access-date=27 November 2021|website=chumtribute.com}}</ref> !<small>GER</small><br /><ref>{{Cite web|title=Suche - Offizielle Deutsche Charts|url=https://www.offiziellecharts.de/suche|access-date=2021-11-27|website=www.offiziellecharts.de}}</ref> !<small>IRE</small><br /><ref>{{Cite web|title=The Irish Charts - All there is to know|url=http://irishcharts.ie/search/placement|access-date=2021-11-27|website=irishcharts.ie}}</ref> !<small>NOR</small><br /><ref>{{Cite web|title=norwegiancharts.com - Norwegian charts portal|url=https://norwegiancharts.com/search.asp?cat=s&artist=paul+&+paula&artist_search=starts&title=&title_search=starts|access-date=2021-11-27|website=norwegiancharts.com}}</ref> !<small>NZ</small><br /><ref>{{Cite web|title=flavour of new zealand - search lever|url=http://www.flavourofnz.co.nz/index.php?qpageID=search%20lever&qartistid=346#n_view_location|access-date=2021-11-27|website=www.flavourofnz.co.nz}}</ref> !<small>SWE</small><br /><ref>{{Cite web|title=Paul And Paula - Se alla låtar och listplaceringar|url=https://www.nostalgilistan.se/paul-and-paula-10968|access-date=2021-11-27|website=NostalgiListan|language=sv}}</ref> !<small>UK</small><br /><ref>{{Cite web|title=PAUL & PAULA {{!}} full Official Chart History {{!}} Official Charts Company|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/10541/paul-and-paula/|access-date=2021-11-27|website=www.officialcharts.com}}</ref> |- |1962 | align="left" |"Hey Paula" <small>(orig. under their own names, Jill & Ray)</small><br/><small>b/w "Bobby Is the One"</small> |1 |1 |1 |4 |18 |1 |16 |— |2 |1 |1 |8 |- | rowspan="5" |1963 | align="left" |"Young Lovers"<br /><small>b/w "Ba-Hey-Be"</small> | align="center" |6 |14 |20 |18 |39 |9 |42 |10 |7 |— |— |9 |- | align="left" |"First Quarrel"<br /><small>b/w "School Is Thru"</small> | align="center" |27 |— |70 |— |— |10 |— |— |— |— |— |— |- | align="left" |"Something Old, Something New"<br /><small>b/w "Flipped Over You"</small> | align="center" |77<br/>108 |— |—<br/>19 |— |— |22 |— |— |— |— |— |— |- | align="left" |"First Day Back at School"<br /><small>b/w "A Perfect Pair"</small> | align="center" |60<br/>105 |— |85 |— |— |— |— |— |— |— |— |— |- | align="left" |"Holiday Hootenanny"<br /><small>b/w "Holiday for Teens"</small> | align="center" |— |— |— |— |— |— |— |— |— |— |— |— |- | rowspan="3" |1964 | align="left" |"We'll Never Break Up for Good"<br /><small>b/w "Crazy Little Things"</small> | align="center" |105 |— |— |— |— |— |— |— |— |— |— |— |- | align="left" |"Darlin'"<br /><small>b/w "The Young Years"</small> | align="center" |— |— |— |— |— |— |— |— |— |— |— |— |- | align="left" |"No Other Right"<br /><small>b/w "Too Dark to See"</small> | align="center" |— |— |— |— |— |— |— |— |— |— |— |— |- | rowspan="2" |1965 | align="left" |"True Love"<br /><small>b/w "Any Way You Want Me (That's How I Will Be)"</small> | align="center" |— |— |— |— |— |— |— |— |— |— |— |— |- | align="left" |"Dear Paula"<br /><small>b/w "All the Love"</small> | align="center" |— |— |— |— |— |— |— |— |— |— |— |— |- |1966 | align="left" |"All I Want Is You"<br /><small>b/w "The Beginning of Love"</small> | align="center" |— |— |— |— |— |— |— |— |— |— |— |— |- |1968 | align="left" |"All These Things"<br /><small>b/w "Wedding"</small> | align="center" |— |— |— |— |— |— |— |— |— |— |— |— |- |1970 | align="left" |"Moments Like These"<br /><small>b/w "Mrs. Bean"</small> |— |— |— |— |— |— |— |— |— |— |— |— |- | colspan="14" style="font-size:8pt" |"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. |}
== See also == * List of Billboard Hot 100 number ones of 1963
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{discogs artist|Paul & Paula}} * {{IMDb name|1540745}} * [https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/30/arts/music/ray-hildebrand-dead.html New York Times - Ray Hildebrandt Obituary] * [https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/ray-hildebrand-paul-paula-dead-82-1235396340/ Billboard - Ray Hildebrandt Obituary]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Paul and Paula}} Category:Musical duos from Texas Category:American pop music groups Category:Charay Records artists Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1965 Category:Philips Records artists