Phil Everly is dead. He died of heart failure at age 74.
The Everly Brothers shaped rock and roll. No pair of singers were better in the late 1950s. I was there. I remember. I sold records after school. No one I knew ever hated the Everly Brothers.
Back in 1970, I met them. It was backstage at a concert they performed at Magic Mountain, the amusement park north of Los Angeles. My friend Bob Warford was their back-up electric guitarist. I remember handing Phil an article I had written on gold for The Commercial and Financial Chronicle. (It was over 40 years ago. Maybe I handed it to Don.)
The Everly Brothers were masters of harmony. They also were masters of great arrangements.
Here, they perform Gone, Gone, Gone.
Hello, Gary. Thank You for the R.I.P. for Phil. I Loved them both – then and Now. Well, I'm Phil's age. Time is running out.
Bill in Idaho
I am also Phil's age. Back in 1961 living in Portland OR there was a knock on our door at 1:00 AM. When I went to answer it, there was no one there. I found out later it was Don and Phil visiting our next door neighbor and knocked on our door by mistake. We came oh so close to meeting the Everly Brothers.
I was in high school in Tennessee when they hit the scene. Wake Up Little Susie was one of their bigg ones then. I enjoyed their music then more than Elvis because it seemed to me they were more musical than Elvis. I hate to hear of Phil's death. He was my age as well.
Another great one gone. Superb singers. Kudos also to Chet Atkins for their early success.
…. in the late 1950s, no pair of singers was better ….
Sigh. Back when 'Wake up, Little Suzy,' was a little risque — and conjured up exciting ideas.
Vale, Mr Everly
Thanks for posting this, Gary. Gone, sad indeed.
Thanks for posting this, Gary. Gone indeed, and I’m a little melancholy.