Everly Brothers Biography: Life History of Everly Brothers

The Everly Brothers were one of the most important and best rock and roll stars. They are more responsible than anyone for moving country songs onto the pop charts. They helped invent rock duo harmonies. They brought the sound of Appalachian harmonies into rock and roll.

Don Everly was born on February 1, 1937 in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky. Phil Everly was born on January 19, 1939 in Chicago, Illinois. Their parents Ike Everly and Margaret were well known in the South and the Midwest as folk and country music performers. Their accomplished guitarist father taught them. They sang with their family on radio broadcasts in Iowa. By 1945, the family moved to Shenandoah where Ike was appearing three times a day on a local radio station. His wife and sons eventually joined him. The Everly Family Show was the most popular in the region by 1950. They then moved to Evansville, Indiana. As the demand for live radio performers reduced they took to the road traveling from town to town singing at political meetings, county fairs and revivals. They finally settled in Knoxville where they appeared on radio from 1953 to 1955.

Chet Atkins, an acquaintance of their father, got the brothers a six-month contract with Columbia Records. The brothers had only one recording session with Columbia in November 1955. Four songs were recorded but only ‘Keep A’ Lovin’ Me’ and ‘The Sun Keeps Shining’ were released. However, they flopped.

Archie Bleyer was looking for country talent and Don and Phil were signed up for Archie Bleyer’s Cadence Label in 1957. The first song that they recorded for Cadence was ‘Bye Bye Love’. Felice and Boudleaux Bryant, a middle-aged husband and wife songwriting team wrote the song. The song had been previously rejected by 30 other music groups. The song became the Everly Brothers’ first million-seller. Working with the Bryant couple, the brothers had several hits in the United States and the United Kingdom with four of them reaching the number one on pop charts: ‘Canthy’s Clown’, ‘Bird Dog’, ‘All I Have To Do Is Dream’ and ‘Wake Up Little Susie’.

They signed up with Warner Bros. Records in 1960 for a million-dollar, ten-year contract. Their first single with Warner Brothers ‘Cathy’s Clown’ (written jointly by Phil and Don) sold eight million copies and was their biggest selling record. Phil’s ‘Ebony Eyes’, ‘Walk Right Back’ and ‘When Will I Be Loved’ also did well. It was declared in 1961 that Don was addicted to Ritalin, a version of methamphetamine. Subsequently Don attempted suicide and underwent electro-shock therapy. In November 1961, the brothers joined the Marine Corps Reserve.

Don married starlet Venetia Stevenson at Camp Pendleton, California. ‘That’s Old Fashioned’ in 1962 was their last Top Ten hit. In 1962, a Golden Hits album was released which included only their Warner Brother hits. In 1964, they released ‘Gone, Gone, Gone’ a single which reached the Top 40. In 1965, their release ‘Price of Love’ reached number two in the U.K. In 1968, they released the album ‘Roots’. In 1970, Don released his first solo album, which was unsuccessful. In 1971, the brothers signed a recoding contract with RCA records. On July 14, 1973, midway through a concert in Knots Berry Farms in Los Angeles their manager came on the stage and stopped the show. This led to their split. In 1983, they rejoined at the Royal Albert Hall in England.

In 1986, the brothers were inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 1997,The Everly Brothers were honored with the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2001, they were into the Country Music Hall Of Fame.