Bye bye, Don
Everly Brothers star dead... 7yrs after his sibling
HIS close harmonies with brother Phil on a string of classic songs such as Walk Right Back and Bye Bye Love are among the most joyous sounds in popular music.
Don Everly was the lead vocalist as the American pair stormed the charts in the late 50s and early 60s.
Together – with their matching suits, guitars and hairstyles – The Everly Brothers were adored by millions and influenced numerous artists including The Beatles, The Beach Boys, and Simon & Garfunkel.
Seven years after Phil’s death aged 74, Don has died at the age of 84 at his home in Nashville, Tennessee.
The Kinks guitarist Dave Davies, 74, said: “Very sad day. The Everlys were part of my musical life growing up. We were inspired by their wonderful records and singing. Wake Up Little Susie was my favourite as a kid.”
Fifties pop star Marty Wilde, 82, said: “RIP Don Everly. With so many songs in the Everly Bros catalogue, it’s hard to pick a favourite. They are all so good. Forever in harmony.”
Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, 73, said: “A curtain has come down on the greatest duo in rock history.”
Don’s family announced his death at the weekend. No cause was given.
A statement said: “Don lived by what he felt in his heart. He 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.”
Isaac Donald Everly was born in 1937 in Brownie, Kentucky, two years before Phil. Their coal miner dad was a gifted guitarist and performed country music with their mum.
Their sons’ talent soon shone through, and the boys were first heard singing on radio when Don was eight and Phil was six.
The brothers began writing and recording music in the mid-50s. Their fusion of country and rock’n’roll came to prominence in 1957 with their first hit Bye Bye Love. All I Have to Do Is Dream was among their No1s in the UK.
Other hits included When Will I Be Loved, and The Price of Love.
Don wrote classics such as Cathy’s Clown, (Till) I Kissed You, and So Sad.
The brothers took a career break when they served in the Marines for six months starting in late 1961.
Afterwards, Don found himself addicted to prescription drug Ritalin.
He once said: “People didn’t understand drugs that well then. It wasn’t against the law... But it got out of
They were part of my musical life growing up.. They inspired us KINKS STAR DAVE DAVIES ON THE EVERLYS
hand. It was a disaster for me. Ritalin made you feel energised. You could stay up for days. It got me strung out.
“I got so far out there, I didn’t know what I was doing.” The hits dried up in the mid-60s but they carried on performing together.
However, it became clear the pair were not as harmonious in real life as they were on their records. During a concert in California in 1973, Phil smashed his guitar and stormed off stage. Don carried on alone then announced the duo were over.
The pair became estranged and did not perform together for a decade. They were inducted into the Rock &
Roll Hall of Fame in its first year, 1986, alongside Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry and James Brown.
The Everlys then received a lifetime achievement award at the Grammys in 1997. Don, inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame in 2019, is survived by his mum, wife and four children.
Talking about the exquisite harmonies that hooked millions of fans, Don, whose voice was lower than his brother’s, said: “When Phil and I hit that one spot where I call it The Everly Brothers, I don’t know where it is.
“Because it’s not me and it’s not him. It’s the two of us together.”