Don Everly, of harmonizing rock ’n’ roll pioneers the Everly Brothers, dies at 84 – by Upali Obeyesekere
NASHVILLE, TENN. — Don Everly, one-half of the pioneering Everly Brothers whose harmonizing country rock hits impacted a generation of rock `n’ roll music, has died. He was 84.
The duo were quite popular in Sri Lanka in the 50s and 60s.
According to the Los Angeles Times, a family spokesperson said Everly died at his home in Nashville, Tennessee, on Saturday. His brother, Phil Everly, died in January 2014 at age 74.
In the late 1950s and 1960s, the duo of Don and Phil drew upon their rural roots with their strummed guitars and high, yearning harmonies, while their poignant songs — many by the team of Felice and Boudleaux Bryant — embodied teenage restlessness and energy.
Their 19 top 40 hits included “Bye Bye Love,” “Let It Be Me,” “All I Have to Do Is Dream” and “Wake Up Little Susie,” and performers from the Beatles to Simon & Garfunkel cited them as key influences.
All of The Everly Brothers’ Top 10 U.S. Hits
‘Bye Bye Love’ – Number 2 – 1957. All the Inductees So Far Into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. …
‘Wake Up Little Susie’ – Number 1 – 1957. Newsweek subscription offers > …
‘All I Have to Do Is Dream’ – Number 1 – 1958. …
‘Bird Dog’ – Number 2 – 1958.
Phil and Don Everly, born in 1939 and 1937, respectively, were the sons of country-western duo Ike and Margaret Everly, and began playing on country radio by the time they were seven. The Everly Brothers recorded 15 Top Ten hits between 1957 and 1962, producing a mind-blowing blend of Appalachian harmonies and rock & roll that influenced the Beatles, Simon & Garfunkel and the Rolling Stones. We mined our playlists and consulted session legend Waddy Wachtel, who joined the Everly band in 1972, to create a career-spanning list of the band’s greatest recordings, from massive hits to under appreciated deep-cuts.
A statement from the family read in part: “Don lived by what he felt in his heart. Don expressed his appreciation for the ability to live his dreams … with his soulmate and wife, Adela, and sharing the music that made him an Everly Brother.”
Don and his younger brother, Phil, were in the first group to be inaugurated in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1986, alongside Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Buddy Holly and Jerry Lee Lewis. Their family harmonies set them apart, as did an out-of-time gentleness: the Everly Brothers’ well-crafted songs floated between country and city and moved with the rhythms of a dream.
Don and his younger brother, Phil, were in the first group to be inaugurated in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1986, alongside Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Buddy Holly and Jerry Lee Lewis. Their family harmonies set them apart, as did an out-of-time gentleness: the Everly Brothers’ well-crafted songs floated between country and city and moved with the rhythms of a dream.
RIP and long live The Everly Brothers
Philip “Phil” Everly (January 19, 1939 – January 3, 2014), aged 74
Donald “Don” Everly (February 1, 1937 – August 21, 2021), aged 84
You both will always be remembered as one of the greats and legends.
