Almanac Music: Vale Don Everly

Don (L) and Phil Everly in 1959 [Source: WikiCommons]

 

I am hoping there is someone out there who can do justice to a much more complete article than I can do here about Don Everly who died today.

 

 

Don and his late brother Phil (who died seven years ago) were a duo in the 1960s whose sweet harmonies influenced many groups of that era including The Beatles and the Bee Gees.

 

 

On the black and white TV screens of my youth, their TV show would start with ‘Hi, I’m Don and I’m Phil – and we’re the Everly Brothers.’

 

 

Their best known songs included ‘When Will I Be Loved’ and ‘Cathy’s Clown’ both of which they wrote themselves.

 

 

Other best sellers written for them by Felice and Boudleaux Bryant included ‘Bye Bye Love’, ‘Wake Up Little Susie’ and ‘All I Have To Do Is Dream.’

 

 

It seems they subsequently had their inevitable differences as all brothers and artists do however I feel today is a day to dwell on their marvellous contribution to our collective enjoyment of their music.

 

 

Please feel free to help me out here further, 1960s music nuts!

 

 

 

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About Roger Lowrey

Roger Lowrey is a Geelong based writer who lists his special interests as reading, writing, horse racing, Roman history and AEC electoral boundaries. Some of his friends think he is a little eccentric.

Comments

  1. Yes, RDL, being of the same vintage, Don and Phil are an indelible part of the soundtrack of my pre-teen years. Those beautiful harmonies linger. There are those songs you’ve already mentioned, plus ‘Walk right back’, ‘Til I kissed you’… Seemingly a more innocent era but what would a 10-year-old kid know? Heaven’s choir is richer today.

  2. Roger, Ian, I’m a tad younger than you pair but i saw the Everly Brothers perform in Melbourne in September 1989. It was at the ‘Legends Of Rock’, concert. I was working crowd control that night so I was paid well to see/hear these Legends.

    The Legend who is still going is the ‘Killer’, Jerry Lee Lewis. He performed three songs that night, hurled his piano stool across the stage, then stormed off. He is the last of that wonderful era. He predates the Everlys by a few years, his first recording being in 1956. How does he keep going!?

    Vale Don Everly.

    Glen!

  3. Peter Crossing says

    Thanks Roger. RIP Don (and Phil). Great harmonies and as you said, their influence can be heard in Beatles songs, especially early on. Simon and Garfunkel’s Cecilia also brings them to mind. Some great songs. I particularly like what they did with the pop standard Temptation. I have a vinyl album, Songs Our Daddy Taught Us, straight out of Kentucky, with just their brilliant vocal harmonies accompanied by acoustic guitar. It contains the mournful, achingly tragic Put My Little Shoes Away. And speaking of cover versions, what about their cover of Little Richard’s Lucille.

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