Don Everly, Half Of The Quintessential Harmonic Duo The Everly Brothers, Dies at 84

Enlarge this image


The Everly Brothers, Don (right) and Phil, perform on July 31, 1964.





AP



hide caption



toggle caption


AP








YouTube


The duo, raised playing in the family band, moved to Nashville in 1955. After some initial success writing songs for country star Roy Acuff’s publishing company, Acuff-Rose, the brothers recorded a single for Columbia. But it was their version of «Bye Bye Love in 1957 that launched them to No. 2 on the U.S. Billboard Pop charts.

The group went on to influence other vocal harmony-driven duos, such as Simon & Garfunkel — whose earliest work closely mimicked the Everly Brothers’ iconic sound.

Following decades and a string of hits together, tensions mounted between The Everly Brothers — resulting in an infamous on-stage blowup on July 14, 1973, when Phil smashed a guitar and left Don to finish the show by himself.

Don told Rolling Stone in 1986 that it was one of «the saddest days of his life.

With the help of British guitarist Albert Lee, the siblings reunited for a London concert that was filmed in 1983. The duo continued to stay active until 2006.

The Everly Brothers were among the first class of inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986. Phil Everly died in 2014.

• rock and roll


• Everly Brothers


• Don Everly