Born on this day in 1939 was one-half of The Everly Brothers, Phil Everly. The Everly Brothers changed the face of rock & roll, inspiring countless iconic acts like Linda Ronstadt, The Beatles, and Simon & Garfunkel. When we look at the rock history books, it’s impossible to stamp out the indelible efforts of these brothers. Learn more about The Everly Brothers below.
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Phil Everly Musical Origins
Phil Everly was born in Chicago in the late ’30s. His father was a guitar player, no doubt inspiring his eventual turn in the music business.
Later in life, Everly and his family moved to Knoxville, and eventually to Music City itself, Nashville. Their move down south was integral to both Phil and his brother, Don’s, country influence on rock.
The Everly Brothers
The Everly Brothers took their star turn in the ’50s, signing to Cadence Records. Their first hit, “Bye Bye Love”, was rejected 30 times before they decided to record it.
“Bye Bye Love” became The Everly Brothers’ first big single. It peaked at No. 1 on the country charts and made a strong showing on several others.
The Everly Brothers continued that string of success, earning top-selling hits like “All I Have to Do Is Dream” and “Wake Up Little Susie.”
The Everly Brothers split up in the ’70s due to internal conflicts, but not before they earned era-defining songs for both themselves and other acts.
The Beatles were one of the biggest bands to cite The Everly Brothers as influences. “They were one of the major influences on the Beatles,” Paul McCartney once said. “When John and I first started to write songs, I was Phil, and he was Don.”
Solo Career
The end of The Everly Brothers wasn’t the end of Phil Everly’s career. He and his brother took on solo careers. Phil Everly provided vocal backups for artists like Roy Wood and Warren Zevon. Famously, Everly suggested the title of “Werewolves in London” to the latter artist.
Everly went on to have moderate success over the years before he stopped performing entirely in 2007.
Everly passed away in 2014 due to complications from COPD. McCartney further gushed about the songwriting talent after he passed, saying, “Phil Everly was one of my great heroes. When I finally met Phil, I was completely star-struck and at the same time extremely impressed by his humility and gentleness of soul. I will always love him for giving me some of the sweetest musical memories of my life.”
McCartney is just one of many artists who laud Everly as a founding father of rock music as we know it today. Despite not being as big of household names as, say, The Beatles, The Everly Brothers were musicians’ musicians. As such, they have been put in their rightful place in the rock hierarchy. Revisit one of The Everly Brothers’ top hits below.
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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