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The Everly Brothers were an American musical duo, known for steel-string acoustic guitar playing and close-harmony singing. Consisting of Isaac Donald "Don" Everly and Phillip "Phil" Everly, the duo combined elements of rock and roll, country, and pop,[1] becoming pioneers of country rock.[2][3]

Key Information

Don and Phil Everly were raised in a musical family. As children in the 1940s, they appeared on radio in Iowa, singing with their parents as the Everly Family. During their high-school years in Knoxville, they performed on radio and television. The brothers gained the attention of Chet Atkins, who began to promote them. They began writing and recording their own music in 1956. The brothers' first hit song was "Bye Bye Love", which hit number one in the spring of 1957. Additional hits, including "Wake Up Little Susie", "All I Have to Do Is Dream", and "Problems", followed in 1958. In 1960, they signed with Warner Bros. Records and recorded "Cathy's Clown", which was their biggest-selling single. The brothers enlisted in the United States Marine Corps Reserve in 1961 and their output dropped off, though additional hit singles continued through 1962. Their final top-10 hit was "That's Old Fashioned (That's the Way Love Should Be)".

The Everly Brothers experienced a decline in popularity in the United States in the 1960s due to changing tastes in popular music, long-simmering disputes with Acuff-Rose Music CEO Wesley Rose, and increased drug use by the brothers. However, the duo continued to release hit singles in the U.K. and Canada, and had many successful tours in the 1960s. In the early 1970s, the brothers began releasing solo recordings; they ended their musical partnership in 1973. In 1983, the Everly Brothers reunited. They continued to perform periodically as a duo until about 2005, when they quietly broke up again. Phil Everly died in 2014, Don Everly in 2021.

The Everly Brothers had a major influence on the music of the generation that followed them. Many of the top acts of the 1960s were heavily influenced by the close-harmony singing and acoustic guitar playing of the Everly Brothers; those acts included the Beatles, the Beach Boys, the Bee Gees, and Simon & Garfunkel. In 2015, Rolling Stone ranked the Everly Brothers number one on its list of the 20 Greatest Duos of All Time.[4] The brothers were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as part of the inaugural class of 1986 and into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2001. Don Everly was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in 2019, earning the organization's first Iconic Riff Award for his distinctive rhythm guitar introduction on "Wake Up Little Susie".[5]

History

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Early life, family, and education

[edit]

Don was born in Brownie, Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, on February 1, 1937, and Phil in Chicago, Illinois, on January 19, 1939. Their parents were Isaac Milford "Ike" Everly Jr. (1908–1975), a guitar player, and Margaret Embry Everly (1919–2021). Don and Phil were of mostly German and English descent and had also some Cherokee ancestry.[6][7][8][9] Actor James Best (born Jewel Guy), also from Muhlenberg County, was a first cousin, the son of Ike's sister.

Margaret was 15 when she married Ike, who was 26. Ike worked in coal mines from age 14, but his father encouraged him to pursue his love of music, and Ike and Margaret began singing together.[10] The Everly brothers spent most of their childhood in Shenandoah, Iowa.[11] They attended Longfellow Elementary School in Waterloo, Iowa, for a year[12] but then moved to Shenandoah in 1944, where they remained through early high school. Ike Everly had a music show on KMA and KFNF in Shenandoah in the mid-1940s,[13]

The family moved to Knoxville, Tennessee, in 1953, where the brothers attended West High School.[14] In 1955, the family moved to Madison, Tennessee, while the brothers moved to Nashville. Don had graduated from high school in 1955, and Phil attended Peabody Demonstration School in Nashville,[15] from which he graduated in 1957.[16] Both could now focus on recording.[17]

Early career (1940s-1950s)

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The Everly Brothers on the cover of Cash Box, July 13, 1957

As children, Don and Phil Everly sang on KMA and KFNF in Shenandoah as "Little Donnie and Baby Boy Phil".[13] The brothers also sang on radio with their parents as the Everly Family.[18]

While in Knoxville, the brothers found work performing on Cas Walker’s Farm and Home Hour, a regional radio and TV variety program. The brothers caught the attention of family friend Chet Atkins, manager of the RCA Victor studios in Nashville.[19] Shortly thereafter, their mother moved the family to Nashville.[20] Despite affiliation with RCA Victor, Atkins somehow arranged for the Everly Brothers to record for Columbia Records in early 1956. Their "Keep a-Lovin' Me", which Don wrote and composed, flopped, and they were dropped from the Columbia label.[21]

Atkins introduced the Everly Brothers to Wesley Rose, of Acuff-Rose music publishers. Rose told them he would secure them a recording deal if they signed to Acuff-Rose as songwriters. They signed in late 1956, and in 1957, Rose introduced them to Archie Bleyer,[22] who was looking for artists for his Cadence Records. The Everlys signed and made a recording in February 1957.[20] "Bye Bye Love" had been rejected by 30 other acts.[20] Their record reached number two on the pop charts, behind Elvis Presley's "(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear", and number one on the country and number five on the rhythm and blues charts.[20] The song, by Felice and Boudleaux Bryant,[23] became the Everly Brothers' first million-seller.

Billboard advertisement, August 17, 1959

Working with the Bryants, they had hits in the United States and the United Kingdom, the biggest being "Wake Up Little Susie", "All I Have to Do Is Dream", "Bird Dog", and "Problems". The Everlys, though they were largely interpretive artists, also succeeded as songwriters, especially with Don's "(Till) I Kissed You", which hit number four on the US pop charts.[24]

The brothers toured with Buddy Holly in 1957 and 1958. According to Holly's biographer Philip Norman, they were responsible for persuading Holly and the Crickets to change their outfits from Levis and T-shirts to the Everlys' Ivy League suits. Don said Holly wrote and composed "Wishing" for them. "We were all from the South", Phil observed of their commonalities. "We'd started in country music."[25] Although some sources say Phil Everly was one of Holly's pallbearers in February 1959, Phil said in 1986 that he attended the funeral and sat with Holly's family, but was not a pallbearer.[15] Don did not attend, saying, "I couldn't go to the funeral. I couldn't go anywhere. I just took to my bed."[25]

Mid-career (1960s–1973)

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Phil (left) and Don Everly in a 1965 publicity photo

After three years on Cadence, the Everlys signed with Warner Bros. Records in 1960,[7] where they recorded for 10 years. Their first Warner Bros. hit, 1960's "Cathy's Clown", which they wrote and composed themselves, sold eight million copies and became the duo's biggest-selling record.[26] "Cathy's Clown" was number WB1, the first selection Warner Bros. Records ever released in the United Kingdom.[27]

We're not Grand Ole Opry ... we're obviously not Perry Como ... we're just pop music. But, you could call us an American skiffle group!

— NME[clarify] – November of 1960[28]

Other successful Warner Bros. singles followed in the United States, such as "So Sad (To Watch Good Love Go Bad)" (1960, pop number seven), "Walk Right Back" (1961, pop number seven), "Crying in the Rain" (1962, pop number six), and "That's Old Fashioned" (1962, pop number 9, their last top-10 hit). From 1960 to 1962, Cadence Records released Everly Brothers singles from the vaults, including "When Will I Be Loved" (pop number eight), written and composed by Phil, and "Like Strangers".[29]

In the UK, they had 18 singles in the top 40 with Warner Bros. in the 1960s, including a string of top-10 hits through 1965 that featured "Lucille"/"So Sad" (1960, number four), "Walk Right Back"/"Ebony Eyes" (1961, number one), "Temptation" (1961, number one), "Cryin' in the Rain" (1962, number six), and "The Price of Love" (1965, number two).

By 1962, records by the Everlys had reportedly generated $35 million in sales. In 1961, the brothers had a falling out with Wesley Rose during the recording of "Temptation". Rose was reportedly upset that the Everlys were recording a song that he had not published, hence for which he would not be paid any publishing royalties. Rose made efforts to block the record's release. The Everlys held firm to their position, and as a result, in the early 1960s, they were shut off from Acuff-Rose songwriters. These included Felice and Boudleaux Bryant, who had written and composed most of their hits, as well as the Everlys themselves, who were still contracted to Acuff-Rose as songwriters and had written several of their own hits. From 1961 through early 1964, the Everlys recorded songs by other composers to avoid paying any royalties to Acuff-Rose. They used the pseudonym "Jimmy Howard" as writer or arranger on two selections they wrote and recorded during this time. This ruse, however, was ultimately unsuccessful, as Acuff-Rose gained legal possession of the copyrights once the deception was discovered.[30] Around this time, the brothers also set up their own label, Calliope Records, for solo projects. Using the pseudonym "Adrian Kimberly", Don recorded a big-band instrumental version of Edward Elgar's first "Pomp and Circumstance" march, which Neal Hefti arranged and which charted in the United States top 40 in mid-1961. Further instrumental singles credited to Kimberly followed, but none of those charted. Phil formed the Keestone Family Singers, which featured Glen Campbell and Carole King. Their lone single, "Melodrama", failed to chart, and by the end of 1962, Calliope Records had gone out of business. The Everly Brothers' last United States top-10 hit was 1962's "That's Old Fashioned (That's The Way Love Should Be)", a song recorded but unreleased by The Chordettes and given to the brothers by their old mentor, Archie Bleyer.[29]

In succeeding years, the Everly Brothers sold fewer records in the United States. Their enlistments in the United States Marine Corps Reserve in October 1961 took them out of the spotlight.[31] One of their few performances during their Marine Corps service was on The Ed Sullivan Show, on February 18, 1962, when they performed "Jezebel" and "Crying in the Rain" while outfitted in their Marine uniforms.[32][33]

Following their discharges from active duty, the Everlys resumed their career, but with little success in the United States. Of their 27 singles on Warner Bros. from 1963 through 1970, only three made the Billboard Hot 100, and none peaked higher than number 31. Album sales were also down. The Everlys' first two albums for Warner (in 1960 and 1961) peaked at number 9 US, but after that, of a dozen more LPs for Warner Bros., only one made the top 200 – 1965's "Beat & Soul", which peaked at number 141.[34][35]

The Everlys' dispute with Acuff-Rose lasted until 1964, when they resumed writing and composing, as well as working with the Bryants. By then, however, both of the brothers were addicted to amphetamines. Don's condition was worse, as he was taking Ritalin; his addiction lasted three years, until he suffered a nervous breakdown and was hospitalized for treatment.[36] The mainstream media did not report either brothers' addiction. When Don collapsed in England in mid-October 1962, reporters were told he had food poisoning;[37] when the tabloids suggested he had taken an overdose of pills, his wife and his brother insisted he was suffering physical and nervous exhaustion.[38] Don's poor health ended their British tour; he returned to the United States, leaving Phil to carry on with Joey Page, their bass player, taking Don's place.[39]

Though their U.S. stardom had begun to wane two years before the British Invasion in 1964, their appeal was still strong in Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia. The Everlys remained successful in the United Kingdom and Canada for most of the 1960s, reaching the top 40 in the United Kingdom through 1968 and the top 10 in Canada as late as 1967. The 1966 album Two Yanks in England was recorded in England with the Hollies, who also wrote many of the album's songs. The Everlys' final U.S. top-40 hit, "Bowling Green", was released in 1967.[40]

By the end of the 1960s, the brothers had returned to country rock, and their 1968 album, Roots, was hailed by some retrospective critics as "one of the finest early country-rock albums".[41] By the end of the 1960s, though, the Everly Brothers had ceased to be hitmakers in either North America or the UK, and in 1970, following an unsuccessful live album (The Everly Brothers Show), their 10-year contract with Warner Bros. lapsed. They were the summer replacement hosts for Johnny Cash's ABC-TV television show in 1970; their variety program, Johnny Cash Presents the Everly Brothers, featured Linda Ronstadt and Stevie Wonder.[42]

In 1970, Don released his first solo album, which was unsuccessful. The brothers resumed performing in 1971 and issued two albums for RCA Records in 1972 and 1973. Lindsey Buckingham joined and toured with them in 1972. The Everlys announced their final performance would take place on July 14, 1973, at Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, California, but tensions between the two surfaced and Don told a reporter he was tired of being an Everly Brother.[43] During the show, Phil smashed his guitar and walked off. Don performed solo the following night, commenting to the audience, "The Everly Brothers died 10 years ago".[44] The two did not reunite musically for more than 10 years. On a personal level, they rarely saw or spoke to each other through the rest of the 1970s, though they would be present at important family events -- such as the funeral of their father Ike Everly in 1975.

Solo years (1973–1983)

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Phil and Don pursued solo careers from 1973 to 1983. Don found some success on the US country charts in the mid- to late 1970s, in Nashville with his band, Dead Cowboys, and playing with Albert Lee. Don also performed solo at an annual country music festival in London in mid-1976. His appearance was well received, and he was given "thunderous applause", though critics noted that the performance was uneven.[45]

Phil sang backup for Roy Wood's 1975 album Mustard and two songs for Warren Zevon's 1976 self-titled album.[46] While Zevon was part of Phil Everly's back-up band, Phil also suggested the title and subject matter for Zevon's breakthrough hit single "Werewolves of London".[47]

Don recorded "Everytime You Leave" with Emmylou Harris on her 1979 album Blue Kentucky Girl.[48]

Phil recorded more frequently, but with no chart success until the 1980s. He wrote "Don't Say You Don't Love Me No More" for the 1978 Clint Eastwood comedy film Every Which Way But Loose, which he performed as a duet with the film's co-star Sondra Locke. Phil also wrote "One Too Many Women in Your Life" for the 1980 sequel, Any Which Way You Can, and played in the band that backed Locke.[49]

In 1983, Phil had UK success as a solo artist with the album Phil Everly, recorded mainly in London. Musicians on the LP included Dire Straits guitarist Mark Knopfler, Rockpile and Dire Straits drummer Terry Williams, and keyboard player Pete Wingfield. The track "She Means Nothing to Me", written and composed by John David Williams and featuring Cliff Richard as co-lead vocalist, was a UK top-10 hit, and "Louise", written and composed by Ian Gomm, reached the top 50 in 1983.[30][50]

Reunion and later career (1983–2005)

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The brothers' reunion concert at the Royal Albert Hall in London on September 23, 1983, which ended their 10-year-long solo careers, was initiated by Phil and Don alongside Terry Slater, with Wingfield as musical director. This concert was recorded for a live LP and video broadcast on cable television in mid-January 1984.[51] The brothers returned to the studio as a duo for the first time in over a decade, recording the album EB '84, produced by Dave Edmunds. The lead single, "On the Wings of a Nightingale", written by Paul McCartney, was a success (top 10 adult contemporary)[52] and returned them to the US Hot 100 (for their last appearance) and the UK charts. McCartney made his esteem for the duo explicit, saying, "When John and I started to write songs, I was Phil and he was Don."[53]

The Everly Brothers performing in New York, circa 1980s

Their final charting single was 1986's "Born Yesterday", from the album of the same name. They collaborated with other performers, mostly singing either backup vocals or duets, including additional vocals on the title track of Paul Simon's 1986 album Graceland. In 1990, Phil recorded a duet with Dutch singer René Shuman. "On Top of the World" was written and composed by Phil, who appeared in the music video they recorded in Los Angeles. The selection appeared on Shuman's album Set the Clock on Rock. A 1981 live BBC recording of "All I Have to Do Is Dream", which featured Cliff Richard and Phil sharing vocals, was a UK top-20 hit in 1994.[54]

In 1998, the brothers recorded "Cold" for Andrew Lloyd Webber and Jim Steinman's musical Whistle Down the Wind, and the recording was used in stage versions as source music. It was the final studio recording the Everly Brothers made as a duo.[55]

The brothers joined Simon and Garfunkel in their "Old Friends" reunion tour of 2003 and 2004. As a tribute to the Everly Brothers, Simon and Garfunkel opened their own show and had the Everlys come out in the middle of it. The live album Old Friends: Live on Stage contains Simon and Garfunkel discussing the Everlys' influence on their career and features all four on "Bye Bye Love"; the subsequent DVD features two extra solo performances by the Everlys. This was not the first time Paul Simon had performed with his heroes; in 1986, the Everlys had sung background vocals on the title track of Simon's album Graceland. Simon and Garfunkel's 1981 Concert in Central Park featured their interpretation of the Everlys' "Wake Up, Little Susie".[56]

The Everly Brothers, though they made no formal announcement of a break-up, made no further appearances as a duo after about 2005. Don Everly later revealed that the two brothers had once again become estranged in their 70s, and that they never reconciled before Phil's death in 2014.[57]

Phil Everly sang "Sweet Little Corrina" with country singer Vince Gill on his 2006 album These Days.[58] Everly had previously supplied harmony vocals on JD Souther's "White Rhythm and Blues" on his 1979 album You're Only Lonely.

Later developments

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Don Everly attended the Annual Music Masters as the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame paid homage to the Everly Brothers on October 25, 2014. Don took the State Theater stage and performed the Everlys' classic hit "Bye Bye Love".[59] His final performance was a guest appearance with Paul Simon on Simon's 2018 farewell tour in Nashville. Don and Simon performed “Bye Bye Love”, with Simon on Phil Everly's original tenor harmony.[60]

Don Everly publicly endorsed Hillary Clinton for the 2016 presidential election in January of that year.[61] This marked the first time he had ever publicly supported a political candidate. Don stated that after his brother Phil's death, he felt free to express his views more openly, noting that the brothers' opposing views had made lending active support to political candidates impossible for them.

Deaths

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Phil Everly died at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, California, on January 3, 2014,[62] aged 74, of lung disease.[63][64][65][49] Patti Everly blamed her husband's death on his smoking habit, which caused him to develop chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; she stated that Phil had spent his final years having to carry oxygen tanks with him wherever he went and taking 20 different types of medication per day.[66]

In a 2014 interview with the Los Angeles Times, Don Everly said that he had given up smoking in the late 1960s and that Phil had stopped, too. However, Don indicated that Phil had resumed smoking during their breakup and had continued until 2001. Don said that weak lungs ran in the family, as their father, Ike, had died of black lung disease. Don admitted that he had lived "a very difficult life" with his brother and that Phil and he had become estranged once again in their later years. Don attributed their estrangement to "their vastly different views on politics and life", with music being the one thing they shared closely. Don said, "it's almost like we could read each other's minds when we sang". However, Don also stated that he had not gotten over Phil's death: "I always thought about him every day, even when we were not speaking to each other. It still just shocks me that he's gone". Don added that because he was the older brother, he had always believed he would die before Phil.[67] In a 2016 interview, Don said he was still coping with the loss of Phil and that he had kept some of his brother's ashes in his home. He added that he would pick up the ashes every morning and say "good morning", admitting that it was a peculiar ritual.[68][69]

Don died at his home in Nashville on August 21, 2021, at the age of 84.[70] His death preceded his mother Margaret by 4 months when she died in December 2021 just 10 days after her 102nd birthday.[69]

Style and influences

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The Everly Brothers' music fused elements of rock and roll, country and pop.[1] Their style has been classified as country rock,[2][71][3][72] rock and roll,[2][1][73] rockabilly[73] and country.[2] The duo are retrospectively considered to be pioneers of country rock.[2][3] Don and Phil, both guitarists, used vocal harmony mostly based on diatonic thirds. On most recordings, Don sang the baritone part and Phil the tenor harmony.[74][75] One notable exception is "Since You Broke My Heart" (1958). Although Don was mainly low, and Phil was mainly high, their voices overlap in a very intricate and almost subtle fashion. Another notable example is "I'll See Your Light" (1977), which is one of the few songs in which Phil consistently has the low harmony while Don is consistently high. Don usually sang the solo lines (for example, the verses of "Bye Bye Love"); among the few exceptions is the 1965 single "It's All Over", on which Phil sang the song's solo lines.[76]

Legacy

[edit]

In the late 1950s, the Everly Brothers were the rock and roll youth movement's addition to close-harmony vocal groups, many of which were family bands. They influenced rock groups of the 1960s, with such major acts as the Beatles,[77] The Beach Boys,[78] and Simon & Garfunkel[79] performing Everly songs as part of their early musical development.

The music of the Everly Brothers influenced the Beatles. Among other indications of the influence, they based the vocal arrangement of "Please Please Me" on "Cathy's Clown".[80] McCartney also referred to 'Phil and Don' in the lyrics to "Let 'Em In" from the 1976 album Wings at the Speed of Sound.

Keith Richards called Don Everly "one of the finest rhythm [guitar] players".[81]

Paul Simon, who worked with the pair on the song "Graceland", said on the day after Phil's death, "Phil and Don were the most beautiful-sounding duo I ever heard. Both voices pristine and soulful. The Everlys were there at the crossroads of country and rhythm and blues. They witnessed and were part of the birth of rock and roll."[13]

Achievements and honors

[edit]

The Everly Brothers had 35 Billboard Top 100 singles, 26 in the top 40. They hold the record for the most Top 100 singles by any duo and trail only Hall & Oates for the most Top 40 singles by a duo. In the UK, they had 30 chart singles, 29 in the Top 40, 13 Top 10, and four at number one between 1957 and 1984. They had 12 Top 40 albums between 1960 and 2009.[82]

The Everly Brothers were among the first 10 artists inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986. They were introduced by Neil Young, who observed that every musical group he had ever belonged to had tried, and failed, to copy the Everly Brothers' harmonies. On July 5, 1986, the Everlys returned to Shenandoah, Iowa, for a concert, parade, street dedication, class reunion, and other activities. Concert fees were donated to the Everly Family Scholarship Fund, which gives scholarships to middle=school and high=school students in Shenandoah. The brothers were inducted into the Iowa Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame in 2003.[83]

In 1997, the brothers were awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. They were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2001 and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004.[84] Their contribution to music has been recognized by the Rockabilly Hall of Fame. On October 2, 1986, The Everly Brothers received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for their work in the music industry, located at 7000 Hollywood Blvd.[85][86] In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine ranked the Everly Brothers No. 33 on its list of the "100 greatest artists of all time".[87] They are also No. 43 on the list of UK Best selling singles artists of all time.[88]

Tributes and interpretations by other artists

[edit]

The Everlys, as noted above, wrote and composed "Till I Kissed You" (Don), "When Will I Be Loved" (Phil), "Born Yesterday" (Don), and "Cathy's Clown" (Don, or possibly Don and Phil). The authorship of "Cathy's Clown" has been the subject of a 2017 lawsuit and has been differently adjudicated by different courts, most recently in 2021.[89] "Cathy's Clown" and "When Will I Be Loved" became hits for Reba McEntire and Linda Ronstadt, respectively. "Cathy's Clown" was also covered by the Tarney/Spencer Band and released as a single in 1979. Band member Alan Tarney (a former member of the Shadows) went on to be a producer for Cliff Richard and a-ha, the Norwegian band who, in turn, covered "Crying in the Rain" in 1990 for its fourth album, East of the Sun, West of the Moon.[90][91]

On Labor Day weekend 1988, Central City, Kentucky, began the Everly Brothers Homecoming event to raise money for a scholarship fund for Muhlenberg County students. Don and Phil toured the United Kingdom in the 1980s and as recently as 2005, and Phil appeared in 2007 on recordings with Vince Gill and Bill Medley. 2007 also saw Alison Krauss and former Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant release Raising Sand, which included a cover of the Everlys' 1964 hit "Gone, Gone, Gone", produced by T-Bone Burnett.[92] In 2007, Anthony Kiedis, singer for Red Hot Chili Peppers, named his son Everly Bear Kiedis in honor of The Everly Brothers who he cited as one of his favorite groups.[93]

Four Everly Brothers tribute records were released in 2013: Billie Joe Armstrong's and Norah Jones' Foreverly,[94] the Chapin Sisters' A Date with the Everly Brothers,[95] Bonnie Prince Billy's and Dawn McCarthy's What the Brothers Sang,[96] and the Wieners' Bird Dogs.[97]

The album Marvin, Welch & Farrar (1971), by the British-Australian band of the same name, contains a track named after Don's place of birth, "Brownie Kentucky".[98]

Deerhunter's "Basement Scene" "intentionally nods to the Everly Brothers' 'All I Have To Do Is Dream'".[99]

Discography

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Main article: The Everly Brothers discography

See also

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References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

The Everly Brothers

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia

The Everly Brothers were an American duo consisting of brothers Isaac Donald "Don" Everly (February 1, 1937 – August 21, 2021) and Phillip "" Everly (January 19, 1939 – January 3, 2014), renowned for their pioneering close vocal harmonies and style that fused , folk, and elements. Emerging from a musical family background in , they achieved breakthrough success in the late 1950s with Cadence Records hits including "Bye Bye Love," "," and "All I Have to Do Is Dream," which topped the and sold millions, establishing them as one of the era's top-selling acts with over 35 Top 100 singles. Their innovative harmonies influenced countless artists, from to the Eagles, while their career featured a decade-long estrangement from 1970 to 1983 amid and management disputes, followed by a reunion album and tour. The brothers were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as part of its inaugural 1986 class and the Hall of Fame in 2001, cementing their legacy as foundational figures in rock music's evolution.

Early Life and Background

Family Origins in Kentucky

Isaac Donald Everly, known as Don, was born on February 1, 1937, in the small coal-mining community of Brownie in , to parents Ike and Margaret Everly. His younger brother, Phillip Everly, known as Phil, was born on January 19, 1939, in , , as the family began pursuing musical opportunities beyond 's rural confines. Ike Everly, born in 1908, and Margaret Embry, born November 25, 1919, both hailed from central 's coal-dependent region, where Ike worked in the mines starting at age 14 before shifting focus to music at his father's encouragement. The couple married in 1935 when Margaret was 15 and Ike was 27, embedding their lives in the hardworking ethos of 's mining culture. Ike exemplified the grueling labor of Kentucky's industry, joining his brothers to set a record for the most coal shoveled in a single day at a Muhlenberg mine, a feat underscoring the physical demands that shaped the family's resilience and . This heritage, combined with Ike's guitar-playing and singing, formed the bedrock of the Everlys' sound, rooted in the folk and country traditions of the region's impoverished, tight-knit communities. , daughter of a , contributed and vocals, partnering with Ike in early performances that blended Appalachian influences with the discipline required for survival in such environs. From infancy, Don and Phil absorbed these foundations, with instilling basic harmony techniques and performance rigor during family gatherings, laying the groundwork for their signature close-harmony style amid the Everlys' transitions driven by Ike's dual pursuits in mining and music. The origins instilled a causal link between hardship and creativity, evident in the brothers' later emphasis on authentic, unadorned vocals reflective of their upbringing's unyielding realism.

Childhood Musical Training and Performances

(born February 1, 1937) and (born January 19, 1939) began their musical training within the family unit, performing alongside their parents, guitarist Isaac "Ike" Everly and vocalist Margaret Everly, who had roots in Kentucky's scene. By the mid-1940s, after the family relocated from to , the brothers—aged eight and six, respectively—joined their parents on daily live radio broadcasts as "The Everly Family" on station KMA in Shenandoah, featuring segments from 6:00 to 6:30 a.m. that included vocals, guitar , and traditional numbers aimed at farm audiences. These appearances, later shifting to KFNF, provided early exposure and technical foundation in live performance, with the boys singing duets and contributing to the family's repertoire of folk and tunes during Midwest tours at county fairs and rural events. Under Ike's tutelage, Don developed proficiency on guitar, initially self-taught through observation and practice on his father's instruments, while Phil focused more on vocals; the brothers refined their signature close harmonies through familial , blending Appalachian influences with the tight-knit dynamics of group renditions. This period emphasized practical skills over formal instruction, as the family act traversed states like and , performing up to six days a week and adapting to audience demands for accessible, heartfelt country material that foreshadowed the duo's later commercial blend of genres. In 1955, following Don's high school graduation, the Everlys moved to , to pursue songwriting prospects in the burgeoning hub; there, Wesley Rose of Acuff-Rose Publications signed the brothers as staff writers in late 1956, securing composition deals that involved demo recordings but yielded no immediate solo recording contracts or fame. This relocation shifted their focus from itinerant family stages to professional networking, with early Nashville efforts centered on pitching songs to established artists amid the competitive environment.

Career Trajectory

Pre-Fame Years and Breakthrough Hits (1940s-1957)

In the early 1950s, Don and Phil Everly, having performed as part of their family's act, sought opportunities in Nashville after relocating from . By 1955, they secured a short-lived recording contract with , where they cut their first professional sides on November 9 at the Old Tulane Hotel Studio, including tracks that failed to gain traction and led to their prompt release from the label. Following this setback, the brothers aligned with music publisher Wesley Rose of Acuff-Rose Publications, who facilitated their signing to Cadence Records in March 1957. Their debut single for Cadence, "Bye Bye Love," penned by Boudleaux and Felice Bryant, had been rejected by approximately 30 prior artists before the Everlys recorded it. Released in April 1957, the track blended their close country harmonies with energy, debuting on the country chart on May 13 and peaking at No. 2 on the Pop chart while reaching No. 1 on Cash Box's Best Selling Records list. The success of "Bye Bye Love" marked the Everlys' pivot from pure country toward a rock-influenced sound that resonated with , emphasizing riffs and tight sibling harmonies. Their follow-up, "," also by the Bryants, was released on September 2, 1957, and ascended to No. 1 on the Pop chart by October 14, despite bans on stations in and elsewhere due to perceived suggestive about a couple falling asleep at a past . The controversy, driven by interpretations of implied premarital intimacy, underscored tensions between emerging themes and conservative broadcast standards, yet propelled the song's chart dominance.

Height of Fame and Chart Dominance (1958-1960)

In 1958, the Everly Brothers achieved their first number-one single with "All I Have to Do Is Dream," which topped the chart for four weeks starting in November. Later that year, "Bird Dog" reached number two, followed by "Problems" also peaking at number two. These successes built on their earlier breakthroughs, solidifying their position as leading figures in early through consistent chart performance. The duo continued their dominance into 1959 and 1960 with additional top-ten hits, including "('Til) I Kissed You" at number four in 1959, "Let It Be Me" at number seven, "When Will I Be Loved" at number eight, and their biggest hit "Cathy's Clown," which held the number-one spot for five weeks in 1960. "Cathy's Clown," their debut single on Warner Bros. Records after signing a landmark ten-year contract on February 17, 1960, sold eight million copies worldwide, marking the duo's largest commercial triumph to date. This period saw them accumulate several of their career's 15 Billboard Hot 100 top-ten singles, demonstrating sustained popularity among teenage audiences. Their fame extended beyond recordings through extensive touring and media exposure, including sold-out performances and television spots that amplified their teen idol appeal. In April 1960, they launched their first official tour at the New Victoria Theatre in , performing hits to enthusiastic crowds. Between 1957 and 1962, their recordings generated reported earnings of $35 million from sales, underscoring the commercial impact of their harmonious style on the evolving rock genre.

Military Service Interruption (1961-1963)

In November 1961, Don and enlisted in the United States Marine Corps Reserve, opting for reserve service rather than facing a potential draft into the regular Army, which could have extended their obligations significantly longer. This decision reflected a sense of patriotic duty amid their rising fame, as they interrupted a string of chart successes to fulfill military requirements. The brothers underwent 12 weeks of boot camp at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in , graduating on February 13, 1962, as the 781,001st and 782,000th recruits, respectively. Following boot camp, they served six months of active duty at Camp Pendleton, , where they participated in rifle training and other standard Marine exercises while occasionally performing for fellow service members, including renditions like "" in uniform. This period marked a complete halt to their recording and touring activities, resulting in no new singles reaching the charts during 1962, as their prior momentum from hits like "" dissipated. The absence coincided with the early stirrings of the , led by acts such as , whose emergence in the U.S. market from 1963 onward shifted popular tastes toward edgier, rhythm-driven rock, a transition the Everlys were unable to engage with in real time. The brothers received honorable discharges from active duty in 1963, allowing them to resume civilian life and music careers under their Warner Bros. contract. Their first post-service release was the album The Everly Brothers Sing Great Country Hits, issued in 1963, which leaned into their roots but failed to recapture pre-enlistment commercial peaks, peaking outside the top 100 on the . This delay in output arguably hindered their ability to adapt to evolving musical landscapes, as the rock idiom they helped pioneer evolved without their direct influence, though personal and managerial factors later compounded these challenges.

Post-Military Challenges and Shift in Sound (1964-1970)

Following their discharge from the in early 1963, the Everly Brothers encountered significant commercial hurdles in reclaiming their prior chart dominance, as the reshaped popular music preferences toward edgier, rhythm-driven sounds. Their initial post-service release, the single "Gone, Gone, Gone" in December 1964, marked an experimental pivot incorporating folk-rock elements with riffs and harmonious vocals, peaking at No. 31 on the but failing to crack the top 10. This track, from the album Gone, Gone, Gone, represented an adaptation to contemporary trends yet underscored their absence of U.S. top-10 hits since 1962's "That's Old Fashioned," attributable to both evolving listener tastes favoring psychedelic experimentation and internal frictions over creative control. Remaining signed to —having transitioned there from in 1960 without interim label shifts—the duo issued Beat 'n Soul in September 1965, blending beat-group influences with soul covers like "Money (That's What I Want)," though it charted lowly at No. 141 on the , signaling eroding domestic sales amid relentless touring demands. European popularity persisted, with "The Price of Love" achieving strong overseas reception in 1965, prompting the 1966 album Two Yanks in England, which featured compositions by British acts such as to align with Invasion-era styles; however, U.S. performance remained tepid, reflecting broader disconnection from psychedelic rock's ascendancy. Managerial disputes with Wesley Rose restricted access to preferred material, exacerbating strains alongside personal turmoil, including Don Everly's 1970 divorce, while exhaustive live circuits sustained fan engagement but failed to reverse recording slumps. By 1967's "," their final U.S. Top 40 entry at No. 40, the shift toward country-rock leanings in later Warner output like the 1968 Roots album highlighted adaptive efforts, yet empirical data confirmed no restoration of peak-era traction before their 1971 move to RCA Victor.

Final Albums and Onstage Breakup (1971-1973)

In 1972, the Everly Brothers released Stories We Could Tell on RCA Victor, an album that reflected a deliberate shift back toward their origins after experimental phases in the late , incorporating acoustic elements and collaborations with session players including on guitar and on harmonica. The record included covers like a rendition of "All We Really Want to Do" and originals such as "Breakdown," but it failed to chart significantly, underscoring their diminished commercial appeal amid broader industry shifts and internal strains. Later that year, they followed with Pass the Chicken & Listen, recorded in Nashville's RCA studios from July 24-27, 1972, under producer and featuring country session stalwarts like fiddler Johnny Gimble, emphasizing straightforward country-pop arrangements on tracks including "Lay It Down" and "Sweet Memories." This effort, released in early 1973, similarly underperformed on charts, receiving modest critical nods for its rootsy authenticity but little sales traction, as the duo grappled with professional frustrations and personal issues that exacerbated longstanding frictions. Tensions culminated during a three-night engagement at in , on July 12-14, 1973, intended as a routine booking but devolving into public dissolution on the final evening. arrived intoxicated, slurring lyrics and struggling through sets, prompting visible exasperation from Phil, who had endured similar episodes amid years of unresolved conflicts over creative control, finances, and addictions. After halting mid-performance, Phil smashed his guitar onstage, declared "The Everly Brothers are finished," and exited, leaving Don to complete the show solo before an stunned audience of several thousand. This acrimonious split, after approximately 16 years of partnership originating in their 1957 breakthrough, stemmed from cumulative discord rather than a singular event, with the brothers ceasing communication entirely for the next decade.

Solo Careers Amid Struggles (1973-1983)

Following their onstage altercation in July 1973, Don Everly released his second solo album, Sunset Towers, in 1974 on Ode Records, featuring country rock tracks such as "Melody Train" and "Tumbling Tumbleweeds," but it failed to achieve significant commercial traction. Don experienced modest success with a handful of singles on the U.S. country charts during the mid- to late 1970s, including entries like "Brother Juke-Box" and "Yesterday Just Passed My Way Again," which peaked outside the top 50, reflecting persistent challenges in replicating his duo-era popularity without Phil's harmonic counterpoint. Phil Everly debuted his solo career with Star Spangled Springer in 1973 on , an album produced by that included covers like "" and originals such as "Snowflake Bombardier," yet it garnered no notable chart positions or sales breakthroughs. Subsequent releases, including Mystic Line in 1975 and Living Alone in 1979, similarly underperformed commercially, with Phil gravitating toward Nashville sessions and collaborations that emphasized his roots but yielded limited solo visibility. Both brothers encountered ongoing commercial obstacles throughout the decade, as their individual efforts routinely stalled on charts dominated by emerging genres, empirically demonstrating the irreplaceable causal role of their close-harmony interplay in prior successes—solo ventures averaged negligible and sales, often confined to niche audiences. Don, battling Ritalin stemming from earlier years, achieved recovery through psychiatric intervention by the late 1970s, enabling stabilized output but not reversing the duo's absence as a market . Phil's outputs, while consistent, mirrored this pattern of subdued reception, highlighting how their separation fragmented the vocal and stylistic cohesion that had defined their peak era.

Reunion Tour and Album Revival (1983-2005)

The Everly Brothers reconciled after a decade-long estrangement, culminating in reunion concerts at London's on September 22 and 23, 1983. The performances, facilitated by guitarist who persuaded the brothers to reunite for what was initially envisioned as a one-off event, drew large audiences and were recorded for release, signaling a commercial resurgence driven by fan nostalgia for their harmonious style. This reconciliation prompted the duo's first album of original material in over a decade, EB 84, released in September 1984 and produced by . The record featured contributions from high-profile collaborators, including Paul McCartney's "On the Wings of a Nightingale," which peaked at number 41 on the UK Singles Chart, alongside tracks like Jeff Lynne's "The Story of Me" and a cover of Bob Dylan's "." The album itself reached number 14 in the UK and number 38 on the , reflecting modest but verifiable chart performance attributable to renewed publicity from the reunion rather than blockbuster sales. Edmunds returned to produce the follow-up, Born Yesterday, issued in January 1986, which blended elements with the brothers' signature close harmonies and peaked at number 83 on the 200. The album's artistic direction emphasized their country-rock origins amid a landscape favoring synthesized pop, yet its limited commercial traction underscored that sustained viability lay more in live performances than studio output. From 1983 to 2005, the Everly Brothers undertook extensive touring, performing dozens of concerts annually in later years—such as 47 shows in 1997 and 42 in 2001—capitalizing on demand for their vintage sound amid a nostalgia-driven market for 1950s-1960s acts. This period saw over 300 documented reunion-era concerts by the early , with empirical evidence of fan engagement through repeated North American and European dates, though intermittent personal tensions occasionally disrupted schedules. The tours' success, rooted in authentic vocal interplay rather than contemporary trends, generated revenue through ticket sales and merchandise, affirming the duo's enduring appeal despite uneven album performance.

Later Performances and Health Declines (2006-2021)

The Everly Brothers continued to perform sporadically in the United States and following their 2005 tour, with occasional concerts and appearances maintaining their live presence into the early . These engagements, though less frequent than in prior decades, featured their signature close harmonies on classics like "All I Have to Do Is Dream" and reflected enduring fan demand despite the duo's advancing age. Phil Everly's health began a marked decline in the late , culminating in a 2011 diagnosis of (COPD), a condition exacerbated by his lifetime of heavy cigarette smoking despite quitting in 2001. The rigors of decades of touring, including exposure to environmental stressors and inconsistent rest, likely compounded the pulmonary damage, as his widow Patti Everly later attributed the progression to unchecked smoking habits. By 2013, Phil's participation waned, limiting joint performances; his final public appearance was a rendition of "Let It Be Me" at an industry event. Phil died on January 3, 2014, at age 74 in , from COPD complications at . Following Phil's death, Don Everly shifted to infrequent solo endeavors, eschewing full Everly Brothers revivals or extensive touring in favor of select tributes and private sessions from 2014 to 2020. These sparse outings, often acoustic and reflective of their shared catalog, underscored the duo's inseparability, with Don expressing reluctance to perform without his brother. Don, who had also contended with smoking-related health strains over his career alongside touring demands, made his final public nods to their legacy in limited capacities before retreating further. He died on August 21, 2021, at age 84 in his Nashville home, with family confirming natural causes but no detailed medical disclosure.

Musical Characteristics

Close Harmony Vocal Techniques

The Everly Brothers' close harmony technique featured Don Everly delivering the primary baritone melody line, often with a deeper, resonant tone, while Phil Everly provided the accompanying high tenor part, typically harmonizing a third above to form parallel diatonic intervals. This structure produced a tightly knit "twin" vocal texture, where the siblings' genetically similar timbres—stemming from shared physiological traits like vocal tract resonance—enabled near-indistinguishable blending, simulating a single, amplified voice rather than distinct individual contributions. Recordings such as "Bye Bye Love" (1957) demonstrate their use of these parallel thirds and occasional fifths, intervals whose acoustic consonance arises from simple whole-number frequency ratios (e.g., 5:4 for major thirds), fostering emotional depth through harmonic stability without the dissonance of wider separations. Analysis of their reveals microtonal accuracy in pitch alignment, with deviations under 10 cents in sustained harmonies, achieved via intuitive synchronization honed from childhood performances rather than metronomic studio correction. This technical precision underscores mastery over romanticized notions of effortless "angelic" , as the brothers' method prioritized causal vocal locking—where one voice subtly adjusts to the other's micro-variations—over polished artifice. Their duo format privileged this innate rapport, allowing real-time adaptive phrasing that trained choirs often lack due to hierarchical dynamics, thereby differentiating from doo-wop's layered, group-contrived which emphasized bass foundations and call-response over intimate lead- fusion. In tracks like "All I Have to Do Is Dream" (1958), the absence of additional voices highlights how their biological attunement enabled fuller perceived density, akin to an aural illusion of three-part through precise reinforcement in , without relying on ensemble multiplicity.

Acoustic Guitar-Driven Arrangements

The Everly Brothers' musical arrangements centered on steel-string acoustic guitars for both rhythm and texture, forming the backbone of their live and studio recordings from their breakthrough in 1957 onward. Don Everly's signature strumming—often described as a brisk, rolling "boom-chicka-boom" pattern—delivered a propulsive drive that blended country roots with rock energy, evident in tracks like "Bye Bye Love" where his intro riff set the template for the duo's sound. This technique, achieved through tight, sharp picking on the lower strings alternating with fuller chord strums, influenced folk-rock pioneers by prioritizing acoustic momentum over electric distortion. The brothers employed dual setups, with Don handling primary rhythm and Phil adding complementary fills, to create layered density that supported their vocal interplay without overpowering it. They favored Gibson models, initially J-200 jumbos for their projection, transitioning to the custom J-180 signature variant introduced in 1962, which featured a smaller body for balanced tone and stage handling. Post-military service in 1961–1963, during which their output paused, the duo reinforced this acoustic core upon return, as seen in 1962 performances like "" on , where unamplified steel-strings maintained intimacy amid shifting rock trends toward louder electrics. Acoustic emphasis offered advantages in warmth and clarity, allowing the guitars' resonance to underscore the duo's precise phrasing, but posed challenges in volume-limited ensembles before standardized amplification, requiring precise mixing to compete with drums and bass in live settings. This approach yielded a distinctive, organic texture that distinguished their work from contemporaries reliant on electric leads.

Songwriting and Thematic Content

The Everly Brothers' repertoire predominantly featured songs written by external composers, such as Boudleaux and Felice Bryant, who penned early hits like "" (1957) and "All I Have to Do Is Dream" (1958), though the brothers contributed originals including "('Till) I Kissed You" (1959) and "" (1960). Their interpretations personalized these through tight vocal harmonies that conveyed emotional immediacy, transforming scripted narratives into seemingly autobiographical expressions of relational strain. Lyrical motifs centered on youthful experiences, blending innocent romance with undertones of loss and mild defiance against adult expectations. In "Wake Up Little Susie," the protagonists recount innocently dozing off at a , only to face violations and ensuing , evoking teenage vulnerability to and parental judgment without explicit immorality. This track's realism—rooted in plausible mishaps rather than poetic abstraction—resonated amid 1950s youth culture's push for autonomy, topping the for four weeks despite radio bans in areas like for perceived suggestions of premarital intimacy. Contrasting this angst, "Let It Be Me" (1959), a cover of a French original, pleads for unwavering devotion amid fear of abandonment, highlighting mature yearning for stability in love. Such themes avoided didactic moralizing, instead prioritizing empirical depictions of emotional turbulence—heartbreak in "Problems" (1958) or public relational fallout in "Cathy's Clown"—which aligned causally with post-war adolescent shifts toward self-expression via emerging rock forms. Their delivery amplified this appeal, with harmonies evoking sibling intimacy that masked broader personal frictions but fostered widespread identification, evidenced by sustained chart dominance and covers by diverse artists. Critics occasionally noted a perceived wholesomeness in the brothers' clean-cut presentation, which some argued softened the songs' edgier implications of or loss, yet empirical reception—multiple number-one singles and millions in sales—demonstrated broad, unforced resonance beyond sanitized facades. This tension reflected not lyrical flaws but the era's cultural friction, where relatable candor in verse outpaced abstract sentimentality.

Influences

Country and Folk Roots

The Everly Brothers' musical foundations were embedded in Appalachian traditions and Midwestern hillbilly influences, originating from their births in —Don on February 1, 1937, and Phil on January 19, 1939. Their parents, Ike and Margaret Everly, performed as hillbilly singers, relocating the family to Shenandoah, Iowa, in the 1940s, where the brothers joined the family act on KMA radio, broadcasting daily from 1945 to 1953 with a repertoire of traditional folk ballads, standards, and gospel tunes taught by their father. This early immersion cultivated their signature close harmony discipline, drawing from brother duets like and Blue Sky Boys, as well as folk sources including the Carter Family, while ' stratospheric vocal interplay provided a direct model for their high-lonesome style in the duet tradition. The family's radio shows, aimed at rural farmers with acoustic-driven sets of 1930s-1940s material, exposed these rustic elements to broader Midwestern audiences, creating a pathway for folk authenticity to intersect with emerging commercial sounds via airwave dissemination. Their 1958 album Songs Our Daddy Taught Us preserved this heritage through covers of traditional folk songs like "Kentucky"—originally recorded by Karl & Harty in 1941—and "Barbara Allen," directly crediting paternal instruction and countering later emphases on their rock output by reaffirming hillbilly origins. The 1968 Warner Bros. release Roots constituted a deliberate reclamation of these country and folk underpinnings, featuring acoustic renditions of standards such as "T for Texas" (Jimmie Rodgers), "Shady Grove," and Merle Haggard's "Mama Tried," interspersed with clips from the family's 1950s radio broadcasts to underscore their foundational ties beyond rock-centric portrayals.

Integration of Rockabilly and Early Rock Elements

The Everly Brothers integrated influences by adopting upbeat tempos and rhythmic drive akin to productions, particularly in their breakthrough single "Bye Bye Love," released in April 1957. Originally a country-oriented composition by Boudleaux and Felice Bryant, the track evolved into a hybrid when incorporated a propulsive Bo Diddley-inspired beat beneath the melody, adding electric energy through prominent guitar riffs that echoed the raw, uptempo style of artists like and . This fusion energized their close harmonies, creating a hybrid sound that bridged country roots with emerging rock dynamics, as the song's emphasized slapping bass and crisp snare hits typical of mid-1950s . Parallel elements appeared in their guitar-vocal synergy, drawing comparisons to Buddy Holly's approach, where lines intertwined with vocal delivery to heighten emotional intensity. Both acts favored intros influenced by , but the Everlys amplified this with duo harmonies that layered over driving chords, as seen in live performances and recordings where Don's provided a foundational pulse similar to Holly's Crickets-backed setup. Their occasional collaborations, such as using as a backing band for "('Til) I Kissed You" in 1959, underscored shared techniques in blending vocal interplay with rockabilly-inflected instrumentation. This synergy distinguished their output from solo rock acts, emphasizing ensemble cohesion over individual showmanship. The 1957 release of "Bye Bye Love" marked an empirical shift, accelerating the viability of vocal duos in rock by achieving commercial success amid a landscape dominated by solo performers like and . The single peaked at number two on the and contributed to the duo's estimated $35 million in from 1957 to 1962, outperforming many contemporaries in crossover appeal and establishing duos as a sustainable format with 35 Top 100 entries overall. While initial perceptions sometimes highlighted derivative echoes of ' raw sound, the Everlys' refinements—smoother production and harmony integration—drove broader acceptance, evidenced by their role as the first non-solo act inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986.

Personal Lives

Marriages, Children, and Family Dynamics

Don Everly married four times. His first marriage was to actress in 1960, ending in divorce in 1970; they had a daughter, Venetia Ember Everly. He married Karen Prettyman in 1975, with whom he had children including daughters Stacy and Erin, and son Edan; this marriage also ended in divorce. Everly's third marriage's details remain less documented publicly, but he wed Adela Garza later in life, and she survived him at his death in 2021. Phil Everly also experienced multiple marriages amid the demands of a touring career. He wed Jacqueline Alice Ertel in 1963, divorcing in 1970; they had a son, . His second marriage to Patricia Mickey lasted from 1972 to 1978. Everly's third marriage was to Patrice Yvonne Arnold in 1999, which endured until his death in 2014; he had a second son, , from one of his marriages. The brothers' children carried forward elements of the family musical tradition rooted in their parents' and performances. Don's son pursued music, performing and recording in styles echoing his father's influences. Phil's son Jason Everly similarly engaged in music, reflecting the intergenerational continuity despite the personal strains of the brothers' early fame and frequent travel. Multiple divorces for both brothers aligned with patterns observed in high-profile performers of their era, where extended absences from home contributed to relational stresses, though the Everlys maintained ties with their offspring and emphasized familial bonds in later reflections.

Health Issues Including Substance Abuse

Don Everly struggled with dependency in the early 1960s, including amphetamines and Ritalin, which led to a publicized overdose and during a 1962 tour of Britain, forcing him to miss performances. Both brothers experienced issues, including , amid declining commercial success and personal strains in the late 1960s and early 1970s. These addictions, compounded by the era's limited understanding of substance dependency and demands for constant touring and output, contributed to escalating tensions that culminated in the duo's onstage breakup on July 14, 1973, at in , where Don appeared intoxicated and smashed his guitar mid-performance. Personal accountability played a central role, as the brothers' choices to misuse stimulants for performance enhancement and coping with career pressures intensified their rift, rather than external factors alone. Phil Everly developed (COPD) from decades of heavy cigarette smoking, quitting in 2001 but sustaining irreversible lung damage that worsened the condition's progression despite its partial genetic basis. Diagnosed in 2011, COPD severely limited his stamina in later years, though he continued performing until health declines forced reductions; he died on January 3, 2014, at age 74 from complications of the disease. Sobriety and health management post-1973 enabled the brothers' reconciliation and 1983 reunion concerts at London's on September 22–23, reviving their joint career after a decade of estrangement and solo work marred by fatigue from prior abuses. Don, too, faced COPD in his , succumbing to it on August 21, 2021, at age 84, underscoring the long-term toll of and unmanaged habits on their longevity.

Controversies and Internal Conflicts

Disputes with Management and Label Control

The Everly Brothers' early contracts with manager Wesley Rose, who also controlled Acuff-Rose Publications, granted the firm extensive authority over their publishing rights and song choices, compelling the duo to prioritize material from Acuff-Rose songwriters such as . This arrangement, rooted in agreements signed in the late 1950s, effectively limited their creative input, as Rose insisted on exclusivity to protect his publishing monopoly in Nashville. By 1960, seeking expanded recording opportunities beyond Cadence Records' constraints, the brothers—still managed by Rose—signed a lucrative deal with Records, which facilitated hits like "" but did not immediately alleviate publishing dependencies on Acuff-Rose. Tensions escalated in 1961 during sessions for "," a non-Acuff-Rose composition, prompting Rose's objection and a decisive ; the brothers fired him via telegram in April of that year, severing their management ties. This fallout denied them access to proven Acuff-Rose catalog material, exacerbating royalty and selection disputes that persisted despite the Warner affiliation, as early contracts vested enduring control with the publisher. The episode underscored the music industry's structural imbalances, where artist-manager pacts often prioritized publisher interests, foreshadowing broader critiques of exploitative practices that later fueled demands for equitable rights. Following the duo's 1973 breakup, residual contract terms continued to bind royalties and rights to Acuff-Rose frameworks favoring initial publishers; in 2011, Don Everly invoked U.S. termination provisions under 17 U.S.C. § 304(c) to reclaim ownership from Acuff-Rose, highlighting how such deals entrenched long-term financial leverage against performers. Court validations of these original grants demonstrated the empirical weight of binding agreements, with limited artist recourse absent statutory interventions, reflecting systemic vulnerabilities predating modern artist empowerment efforts.

Brotherly Feud, Breakup Causes, and Eventual Reconciliation

The interpersonal strains between Don and intensified in the early amid personal hardships, including Don's 1961 and his subsequent to Ritalin, an prescribed as part of a controversial "" regimen that escalated to a nervous breakdown requiring electroshock treatment. Both brothers grappled with dependency, which Don later attributed to widespread unawareness of the drugs' addictive potential in the era, though Phil's issues were comparatively less severe. These substance influences eroded their collaborative dynamic, fostering resentment over creative decisions and performance reliability, with Don's impairments often disrupting rehearsals and shows. The feud reached its public nadir on July 14, 1973, during a concert at in , when Don appeared intoxicated and struggled through his parts, prompting Phil to smash his guitar onstage and announce, "The Everly Brothers are finished. I am done with it," effectively dissolving the partnership. This implosion capped years of simmering discord, including disputes rooted in the pressures of sustained fame and unaddressed addictions, which had already prompted a two-year hiatus prior to the event. The brothers then enforced a strict 10-year no-contact policy, each venturing into solo endeavors—Don with releases like his 1976 album Sunset Towers and Phil with folk-oriented work—while their immaturity in handling conflicts arguably forfeited substantial joint output during a period when their influence on emerging artists remained potent. Reconciliation emerged in 1983 through intervention by British guitarist , a longtime associate of both siblings independently, who brokered a truce culminating in sold-out reunion concerts at London's on September 22 and 23; these performances, backed by a full band including Lee, yielded the live album The Reunion Concert and signaled a partial restoration of their harmony, though underlying frictions persisted. Subsequent collaborations, such as the 1984 album EB 84, demonstrated resilience in their musical chemistry despite the hiatus's toll, yet flare-ups recurred, notably during their 2005 tour when Phil voiced exhaustion and refused to extend engagements amid Don's insistence on continuing, highlighting unresolved patterns of discord that limited further productivity. Their ability to reunite and tour sporadically thereafter underscored achievements born of talent overriding personal flaws, even as sibling rivalries delayed what might have been a more unbroken legacy.

Legacy and Cultural Impact

Awards, Inductions, and Commercial Milestones

The Everly Brothers were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986 as part of the inaugural class, recognizing their foundational role in rock and roll harmony vocals. They were also inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2001, affirming their roots in country traditions despite their rock crossover success. Additional honors include the in 1997, acknowledging their enduring contributions to American music, and induction into the in 2004. Commercially, the duo's early hits drove substantial revenue, with records generating $35 million in sales by 1962, equivalent to significant market dominance in the late and early . In February 1960, they signed a landmark 10-year, $1 million contract with Records, the first such million-dollar deal in recording history, reflecting their proven drawing power after hits like "" and "All I Have to Do Is Dream." Their single "" alone sold 8 million copies worldwide upon its 1960 release, topping charts in both the and . On the UK charts, the Everly Brothers achieved four number-one singles between 1958 and 1961—"Wake Up Little Susie," "All I Have to Do Is Dream," "Bird Dog," and "Cathy's Clown"—and amassed 30 chart entries overall, with 13 top-10 peaks. In the US, they notched over two dozen Billboard Hot 100 top-40 hits, underscoring their transatlantic commercial peak before internal conflicts diminished output in the mid-1960s. These metrics highlight their era-defining sales velocity, though later career fragmentation limited cumulative totals compared to solo acts like Elvis Presley, who benefited from sustained solo promotion.

Influence on Subsequent Musicians and Genres

The Everly Brothers' signature close-harmony singing, characterized by high tenor leads from and baritone support from Don, directly shaped the vocal arrangements of subsequent rock acts. and explicitly credited the duo as a primary influence, with McCartney stating in 2014 that was "one of my great heroes" and that the brothers were "one of the major influences on ." The modeled the vocal structure of their 1963 single "" on the Everlys' 1960 hit "," employing similar tight, interwoven harmonies over acoustic guitar. This technique extended to tracks like "Two of Us" from the 1970 album Let It Be, where and emulated the Everlys' sibling-like blend during rehearsals. Simon & Garfunkel likewise drew from the Everlys' harmonic precision, with and studying their method to craft their own folk-rock sound in the mid-1960s. The duo's debt was publicly acknowledged when invited the Everlys to join them onstage at their 1981 , effectively reuniting the brothers after an eight-year split. , led by , incorporated Everly-style vocal layering into their surf-rock harmonies, citing the brothers as a key early influence on their multi-part arrangements. The brothers' fusion of roots with rhythms pioneered elements of folk-rock and country-rock genres. Their acoustic-driven tracks, blending bluegrass picking with electric energy, provided a template for acts transitioning from pure rock toward softer, narrative styles, as seen in the harmonic folk explorations of and the Beatles' later acoustic experiments. In country-rock, the Everlys prefigured the sound of the Eagles and by merging traditional Americana twang—evident in songs like "Bye Bye Love" (1957)—with rock structures, influencing the genre's emphasis on harmonious, roots-oriented songcraft over raw aggression. This legacy persisted in alt-country revivals, where acts like echoed the Everlys' country-folk harmonies in albums such as Prologue (2011), sustaining the duo's role in grounding modern Americana in empirical vocal and instrumental traditions.

Posthumous Recognition and Ongoing Tributes

performed a tribute rendition of the Everly Brothers' "All I Have to Do Is Dream" at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame's 2021 induction ceremony in on October 30, as part of the in memoriam segment honoring Don Everly's recent passing. This unannounced appearance underscored the duo's foundational role in rock history, with Carlile's acoustic delivery evoking their signature close harmonies. Tribute acts persist globally, with productions like "Forever Everly: The Everly Brothers Rockumentary" scheduling performances throughout 2025, combining archival footage and live vocal duets to recreate the brothers' sound. Venues include Saddlebrooke Two on February 5, Las Palmas Resort on January 10, and Gretna Theatre on June 20–21, demonstrating sustained demand for interpretations of their catalog. Recent media explorations, including a globally released Everly Brothers documentary announced for in 2025, further propagate their narrative to new viewers via streaming platforms. These efforts, alongside covers and live homages by contemporary artists, affirm the duo's harmonies retain cultural resonance, as evidenced by active touring circuits rather than archival obscurity.

Discography Highlights

Studio Albums and Key Releases

The Everly Brothers' initial studio output occurred during their tenure with Records from 1958 to 1960, yielding three albums that capitalized on their breakthrough hits and close-harmony style rooted in country and influences. Their self-titled debut, The Everly Brothers, arrived in January 1958, followed closely by in February 1958, an acoustic collection of folk and traditional songs inherited from their father, Ike Everly, emphasizing stripped-down arrangements over commercial pop. A third release, , appeared in 1960 as a transitional effort before their label switch, with early albums collectively selling millions amid the duo's dominance in the late U.S. market. Transitioning to Warner Bros. Records in 1960 marked a prolific phase, producing over a dozen studio albums through the 1960s and into the 1970s, though sales trended downward from their Cadence-era peaks as musical tastes evolved toward harder rock. Key early Warner efforts included It's Everly Time! (May 1960) and A Date with the Everly Brothers (October 1960), both peaking modestly on charts while experimenting with upbeat rock and roll covers. Later Warner releases like Roots (February 1968) garnered critical acclaim for reviving their country-folk origins with tracks such as "T for Texas" and family radio snippets, earning retrospective praise for its authenticity amid the duo's personal struggles. A standout non-studio key release, the compilation The Everly Brothers' Greatest Hits (February 1967), compiled Cadence-era tracks and topped the Billboard 200 for two weeks, underscoring their enduring commercial legacy despite waning new album performance. Post-1973 breakup, the brothers pursued solo work before reuniting for EB 84 (1984) on , their first new studio material in over a , featuring contributions from and to blend revival with contemporary production. In total, the duo recorded 21 studio albums across labels including , , and , with output tapering after the as internal conflicts and shifting genres impacted momentum.

Major Singles and Chart Performances

The Everly Brothers amassed 31 entries on the between 1958 and 1984, including 12 top 10 hits, establishing them as one of the era's most successful duos. Their early singles from 1957–1958 marked a rapid ascent, blending country and influences into mainstream pop appeal. "Bye Bye Love," released in April 1957, peaked at number 2 on the pop chart and held that position for four weeks while topping the country chart for seven weeks. Follow-up "," issued in September 1957, became their first number 1 on the pop chart, reigning for four weeks. "All I Have to Do Is Dream," from April 1958, followed suit with five weeks at number 1 on the . These tracks exemplified their initial commercial peak, with tight harmonies driving crossover success. After enlisting in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1960, the duo's output paused, but they rebounded pre-service with "Cathy's Clown" in 1960, which topped the Hot 100 for five weeks and sold over eight million copies worldwide. Subsequent singles like "When Will I Be Loved" (number 8, 1960) and "Walk Right Back" (number 7, 1961) maintained top 10 presence, but post-discharge in 1962, chart performance waned amid shifting musical tastes and label transitions. Hits grew sporadic, with "Temptation" reaching number 69 in 1963 and later efforts like "Bowling Green" peaking at number 89 in 1967, signaling a commercial ebb before their 1968 hiatus.
SingleRelease YearBillboard Hot 100 PeakWeeks at No. 1
Bye Bye Love195720 (Pop chart)
195714
All I Have to Do Is Dream195815
196015

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