The Everly Brothers

The Everly Brothers’ blend of country music, rhythm ‘n’ blues and pop was one of the most innovative and original styles of the 1950s rock ‘n’ roll era. Their vocal harmonies were rooted in vintage country brother duets but had a pop sensibility and influenced countless singers, including Simon and Garfunkel and the Beatles. , Donald Everly was born in Brownie, Kentucky on Feb. 1, 1937. His father, Ike, was a pioneering finger-style guitarist who, with his wife, Margaret, went to Chicago in search of a musical career. Their second son, Phillip, was born there on Jan. 19, 1939. , , At ages 8 and 6, Don and Phil were brought into the family act. They worked early morning radio shows in Waterloo, Iowa; Shenandoah, Iowa; and Evansville, Indiana, before Ike and Margaret moved to Knoxville in 1953. Don and Phil attended West High School on Sutherland Avenue and performed with the family act on Cas Walker’s television show. Walker, a local politician and grocery chain owner, had sponsored his “Farm and Home Hour” on WROL-AM since 1929, and in 1953 began sponsoring a show on WROL-TV. , , After Walker fired the Everly family later in 1953, Ike folded the act. He trained as a barber and did janitorial work in their apartment building at 641 Scenic Drive. Ike knew another finger-style guitarist, Chet Atkins, who had worked several stints in Knoxville before settling in Nashville. Atkins was working shows, including the Grand Ole Opry, and playing guitar on recording sessions. He also ran a small music publishing company, and Ike told him about Don and Phil. , , Don Everly sent some songs to Atkins, who pitched one of them, “Thou Shalt Not Steal”, to Kitty Wells, then the biggest female star in country music. Wells recorded it on Sept. 1, 1954, and it charted briefly in December. The royalty check coincided with Don’s 1955 graduation from West High School. It was sufficient encouragement for Ike to move the family to the north Nashville suburb of Madison. A subsequent deal with Gene Autry’s music publishing company led to the Everly’s first recording session in November 1955 for Columbia Records. Their sole Columbia single did not chart, and their contract was not renewed. , , Before leaving Knoxville, Don had bought Bo Diddley’s first record at a store on Cumberland Avenue, and he began integrating Diddley’s rhythms into his work. By the time the Everlys were acquired by Cadence Records, the swift emergence of rock ‘n’ roll had changed country music and the Everlys’ sound. , , When the Everly Brothers began their 10-year hit streak with “Bye, Bye Love” in May 1957, they were the first rock ‘n’ roll act to be produced and managed from Nashville. Their sound and look were perfect for the era, and their influence extended well beyond their chart career. They scored 35 Top 100 singles, the most by any duet. In 1986, they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and in 2001 they were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. , , Phil Everly died on Jan. 3, 2014, and Don Everly passed away on Aug. 21, 2021.