Gut wrenching it was …<\/p>\n
I first saw Don & Phil in 62 at the London, New Victoria theater on a tour with Ketty Lester.\u00c2\u00a0 They were backed by the Crickets . It was the first time I heard records done right on stage. Oh, what a feeling …<\/p>\n
In late 63 the Rolling Stones and Mickie Most were bottom of the bill on a 6 week tour of the UK promoted by Don Arden and headlined by the Everly Brothers . Bo Diddley, Jerome and the Duchess were also with us and Little Richard with Billy Preston were added to the second half of the tour. Keith later called that tour his university.<\/p>\n
tour.<\/p>\n
So many British songs you were weaned on were written by songslingers who warmed up on Don & Phil and Buddy Holly.<\/p>\n
When the Everly Brothers sang they spoke to each other and they spoke for us.<\/p>\n
With extreme and forever gratitude,<\/p>\n
Andrew Loog Oldham<\/p>\n
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The Everly Brothers were the reason I wanted to be a musician. I was sixteen, and I took a girl to what was called a “sock hop,” held in the gym of Amherst Central High School in the suburbs of Buffalo. It was hosted by a local popular DJ, Guy King of WWOL. They had set up a riser in front of the bleachers and Guy escorted the brothers up some make-shift stairs to a couple of waiting microphones. He introduced them to a crowd of probably 500 or so teenagers, many of whom had never heard of the Everly Brothers, since their first record had just been released. But when they strapped on their twin Gibson J-200s and pounded out the opening chords to “Bye, Bye Love,” the kids went wild. The girl I was with forgot all about me – she couldn’t take her eyes off the stage. I knew immediately that I needed to get up on that stage myself.<\/p>\n
I knew a few chords on a guitar I had borrowed from my uncle, but I wasn’t serious. The Everly Brothers lit a fire under me that night: the sound of those two strummed acoustics and those amazing voices that were so perfectly in time with each other mesmerized me. And when Guy King talked them into playing “Wake Up, Little Susie,” which was to be their second single, I noticed that one of them put a capo on his guitar. I had never seen one of those and it made me realized how much I didn’t know.<\/p>\n
A dozen years later, in the summer of 1970, I was in Linda Ronstadt’s band when she made a guest appearance on the Everly Brothers’ short-lived variety series on ABC. I finally got a chance to tell them how much they meant to me, and they were beyond gracious. Like everybody in the music world, I’m sad today, but pleased to see Don and his brother get all the accolades they deserve.<\/p>\n
Best,
\nJohn Boylan<\/p>\n
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It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s probably unnecessary for me to say this, but beyond having one of the most singular and amazing voices of recorded history, Don Everly was a soulful, gifted and prolific songwriter and his rhythm guitar playing was truly iconic. Regardless of their personal differences and difficulties, he and Phil were magnificent both in the recording studio and live. Their fraternal blend and lifetime of professionalism was astonishing.
\nI bailed on joining my collaborators and pals Dewey and Gerry of America onstage for a gig at the Universal Amphitheater one night to instead go see the Everly\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s at the Greek. It was an absolutely great show.
\nDonald, who sang lead on every Everly recording, never really sang his solo
\nparts the same way. He always brought a new interpretation to those well crafted songs, night after night\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 decade after decade. He struggled with depression and substance abuse and all the trappings that can befall a star, but he left us a lot of beautiful music that surely endures. There\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s an abundance of solo Don Everly recordings worth exploring beyond the Brothers fantastic catalogue.
\nMargaret Everly, mother of Donald and Phillip, now age 102, deserves a prayer. Or two.
\nR.I.P. Donald.<\/p>\n
Peace,<\/p>\n
Bill Mumy
\nStill in Laurel Canyon<\/p>\n
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I teched for Paul Simon<\/p>\n
Looking out from the stage a tremendous number of people would cry as they sang along with the Everly Brothers during their nightly segment in the middle of the show<\/p>\n
When they showed for the first rehearsals, Donald\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s guitar had a note woven through the strings from Robert Steinegger ( builder of their \u00e2\u20ac\u0153 Ike Everly \u00e2\u20ac\u009d guitars ) it was dated some 16 years earlier
\nPhil\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s guitar was in similar condition<\/p>\n
…And when they walked on that stage they sounded exactly like the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Everly Brothers\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
Cheers, Michael K<\/p>\n
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1958 \u00e2\u20ac\u201d in my Xmas stocking \u00e2\u20ac\u201d Santa left my first 45 \u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Bird Dog\u00e2\u20ac\u009d b\/w \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Devoted To You\u00e2\u20ac\u009d by the Everly Brothers on Cadence.<\/p>\n
My life changed right then.<\/p>\n
Jeff Eyrich<\/p>\n
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Hi Bob: \u00c2\u00a0My dad was born in 1940 and he LOVED the Everly Brothers . . . I have not heard these songs in decades, but I could sing along with every word today as they provided the soundtrack of the first decade of my life and you never forget those songs. \u00c2\u00a0I always thought I was the only person in my age group who had ever even heard of the Everly Brothers, much less know their music . . . they just never came up in discussions throughout all my years at a label.<\/p>\n
To your point of Europeans embracing American roots, I have a very vivid recollection of talking to my boss\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 father one time and he asked what type of music I grew up with. \u00c2\u00a0He\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s from Denmark and moved to the States in the 80\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s – he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s currently 92! \u00c2\u00a0I said Beatles, Elvis, Johnny Mathis (thanks Mom!) and the Everly Brothers, saying that last name with a \u00e2\u20ac\u0153you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve never heard of them\u00e2\u20ac\u009d in my voice. \u00c2\u00a0He latched on to that and launched into how influential Phil and Don were.<\/p>\n
Anyways, reading about Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s death made me think of my father and the hours and hours we spun Every Brothers vinyl and sang along. \u00c2\u00a0Lucky for me, I still have both parents – I bet Dad pulled out one or two of those records yesterday.<\/p>\n
Vickie Strate<\/p>\n
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NYC-based Cadence Records’ founder\/owner Archie Bleyer, one of the sharpest indy label pioneers of all time, signed the Everly Brothers and produced their long run of hits. \u00c2\u00a0Some of the tunes were the brothers’ compositions, other equally successful ones were written by Felice and Boudleaux Bryant. \u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0Paul Lanning<\/p>\n
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The guitar playing impressed me. The rhythm guitar on “Wake Up, Little Susie” had an urgency and propulsive quality that was a complete break from folk-style guitar playing. It was a lot closer to Pete Townshend’s attitude than Peter, Paul, and Mary’s, that’s for sure.<\/p>\n
Craig Anderton<\/p>\n
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I was 11 when you were 5 so at 16 when I first heard Lennon\/McCartney my first thought was Don\/Phil. Seeing the brothers on \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The Ed Solomon Show\u00e2\u20ac\u009d as my grandmother called Sullivan, was every bit as thrilling as seeing The Beatles a few years later. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s back!\u00e2\u20ac\u009d I told myself after having abandoned rock\u00e2\u20ac\u2122n\u00e2\u20ac\u2122roll at 15 for Monk, Coltrane and the MJQ. Now I had both! Though to fully grasp what \u00e2\u20ac\u0153it\u00e2\u20ac\u009d was took time.<\/p>\n
Michael Fremer<\/p>\n
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The great contribution of the Everlies is their approach to harmony…<\/p>\n
A second singer, singing a counter melody, usually a third above the lead vocal..(Almost constantly, in their case)\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6.<\/p>\n
Which we take for granted, having heard the Beatles, Eagles, and every other act doing it, our entire lives..<\/p>\n
But nobody did it much before them…(and Buddy Holly).<\/p>\n
You’d hear Elvis sing a melody, but the background voices, usually a gospel quartet, would function as orchestration..Oohs and aahs, behind the vocal line..Which followed the template set by Bing Crosby, Sinatra, and the country crooners..<\/p>\n
Part of the freedom of rock and roll is the self containment, the independence, the DIY spirit…<\/p>\n
For me, it was hearing “Wake Up Little Suzie”, on “Happy Days”..How their voices BLENDED..Siblings can naturally match the tones..<\/p>\n
The songs and the recordings hold up well, but it’s those harmonies that changed music forever…<\/p>\n
James Spencer<\/p>\n
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“The L.A. “Times” obituary went up almost instantaneously, it had obviously been pre-written, because at some point in the not too distant future, they knew Don was going to pass.”<\/p>\n
I used to work in news (in the UK) and, believe me, all newspapers and news outlets have obits ready for everyone newsworthy – in print and film\/video. On any slow news day, the news dept has writers updating the obits, some have journalists devoted to just the obits.<\/p>\n
I did my fair share at the BBC and at first it was weirdly uncomfortable to do them while the subjects were still alive, but in the news business, sentiment doesn’t last long at all.<\/p>\n
I’m also from Liverpool, where the Everlys were\u00c2\u00a0Gods. I was a life-long fan, bought all their records and suffered through British airings of\u00c2\u00a0The Perry Como Show\u00c2\u00a0to see them perform. I actually met Phil before he passed,\u00c2\u00a0 but never Don.<\/p>\n
They were unique and their music still sounds as fresh as when it first came out of that transistor radio.<\/p>\n
RIP Don and Phil.<\/p>\n
Paul Flattery<\/p>\n
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Nice Bill Medley reference there at the end! But if there’s a rock and rollheaven, it’s still just dust in the wind…Seriously, great tribute! I love all those old EB songs, but this just might be my favorite EB track from their Warner Brothers years when they recorded with those great LA session players…in this case the late great Clarence White, one of my longtime Telecaster guitar heroes<\/p>\n