The Everly Brothers, The Greatest Duo of All Time

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Photo Source: Mubi.com

FEMUSINDO.com - The Everly Brothers, consisting of Isaac Donald "Don" Everly and Phillip "Phil" Everly, are an American rock duo, known for their steel-string acoustic guitar playing and harmony singing.

The duo, who were raised in a family of musicians, combined elements of rock and roll, country, and pop, becoming pioneers of country rock.

They first appeared on the radio in Iowa singing with their father Ike Everly and mother Margaret Everly as "The Everly Family" in the 1940s, and in Knoxville, Tennessee, when the brothers were still in high school.

It turned out that the two caught the attention of Chet Atkins, who began promoting them to gain national attention.

First Hit Song

The brothers began writing and recording their own music in 1956, and their first hit song appeared in 1957, with "Bye Bye Love," written by Felice and Boudleaux Bryant.

The song reached No. 1 in the spring of 1957, and other hits followed through 1958, many of them written by the Bryant brothers, including "Wake Up Little Susie," "All I Have to Do Is Dream," and "Problems."

In 1960, they signed with Warner Bros. Records and recorded "Cathy's Clown," written by the brothers themselves, which became their best-selling single.

The brothers enlisted in the United States Marine Corps Reserves in 1961 and their output declined.

Solo Recordings and Disbandment

In the early 1970s, the brothers began releasing solo recordings, and in 1973 they officially disbanded.

Beginning in 1983, the brothers reunited and continued to perform regularly until Phil's death in 2014 and Don's death seven years later.

Throughout their careers and until their deaths, the American rock duo had a profound influence on the music of generations that followed.

Many of the top artists of the 1960s were heavily influenced by the Everly Brothers’ harmony singing and acoustic guitar playing, including the Beatles, Beach Boys, Bee Gees, and Simon & Garfunkel.

Greatest Duos of All Time

In 2015, Rolling Stone ranked the Everly Brothers No. 1 on its list of the 20 Greatest Duos of All Time.

They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as part of the inaugural class in 1986 and into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2001.

Don was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in 2019, earning the organization’s first Iconic Riff Award for his signature rhythm guitar intro to the Everlys’ 1957 smash hit “Wake Up Little Susie.” (*)