The Everly Brothers

Synopsis of Pop Music

“Whenever I want you,
All I have to do,
Is dream,
Dream, dream, dream…”

On the surface, the Everly Brothers sound seems simple enough: two voices singing in harmony, backed up with guitars and a rock-steady beat. However, the sound they coaxed out of these simple elements was rich and deep. They wrapped this beautiful sound around great pop songs like “All I Have To Do Is Dream” and became the most successful and influential duo act of all time in the process.

Like many great musicians, Don and Phil Everly had music in their blood. The two siblings were the sons of radio performers Ike and Margaret Everly. They performed extensively on their parents show from an early age and began writing songs in their teens. When Don sold a song to a Nashville artist at age 16, his parents decided to send him and Phil to Nashville with the hope of making them stars.

The two brothers found success in 1957 when they released a self-penned single called “Bye Bye Love.” The song combined the brothers' close harmony vocals with a musical backdrop that combined country-flavored acoustic guitars with a driving, rock-style backbeat. This diverse blend of influences created a song that cut across many musical barriers: It went to #2 on the pop charts, #1 on the country-and-western charts, and #5 on the rhythm-and-blues charts.

"Bye Bye Love" was the first in an amazing three-year string of Everly Brothers hits on the Cadence label that included “Wake Up Little Susie,” “All I Have To Do Is Dream,” “When Will I Be Loved,” “Bird Dog” and “Let It Be Me.” They moved to Warner Bros. Records in 1960 and continued to hit big with songs like “Cathy’s Clown” and “Ebony Eyes.” The Everly Brothers found their career interrupted when they were drafted by the U.S. Army in 1961. After six months' service, they resumed recording and quickly scored a Top-10 hit with “That’s Old Fashioned.”

With the advent of groups like the Beatles, the sound of rock and roll began to branch out in new directions. The Everly Brothers began to experiment during this time as well, adding the jangling guitar sound used in many 'British Invasion' records to songs like “The Price of Love” and “It’s All Over.” Many of the songs from this era were Top-10 hits in England.

In the late 60’s, the band turned their attention to country material with an album called Roots. This album was one of the first to pioneer the 'country-rock' sound and thus influenced musicians like the Eagles, the Bellamy Brothers and Linda Ronstadt (who sang a hit cover of “When Will I Be Loved”).

As the 70’s began, the Everly Brothers were popular guests on variety and talk shows and even hosted their own show for ABC in 1970. The two went on hiatus for a decade when Phil and Don decided to split up to pursue solo careers in 1973. However, the pop world was abuzz when the Everly Brothers reunited for a successful concert at London’s Royal Albert Hall in 1983. The concert was recorded for posterity and found great success when released on video and record. Since then, the Everly Brothers have resumed recording together. They also tour extensively, usually six to eight months of every year.

Over forty years after their first hit, the Everly Brothers continue to be a vital influence on several generations of rock and rollers. A short list of performers who have admitted their debt to the work of the Everly Brothers would include such stellar talents as the Beatles, the Beach Boys, Simon and Garfunkel and the Hollies. Even the legendary Bob Dylan has nothing but praise for this duo: “We owe those guys everything. They started it all.”

It's easy to see why these artists love the work of the Everly Brothers: Their complex yet straightforward sound is, like all great music, heartfelt and timeless. For these reasons and many more, the Everly Brothers will never go out of style.

Artist Release History

1958 - The Real Everly Brothers
1958 - The Everly Brothers
1959 - Songs Our Daddy Taught Us
1960 - It's Everly Time
1960 - Rockin' with the Everly Brothers
1960 - The Fabulous Style of the Everly Brothers
1961 - A Date with the Everly Brothers
1961 - Both Sides of an Evening
1961 - Especially for You
1961 - Souvenir Sampler
1962 - Christmas with the Everly Brothers
1962 - Instant Party
1962 - Folk Songs of the Everly Brothers
1962 - For Everly Yours
1963 - A Date with the Everly Brothers, Vol. 1
1963 - A Date with the Everly Brothers, Vol. 2
1965 - Rock N' Soul
1965 - Gone, Gone, Gone
1965 - The Price of Love
1965 - Beat & Soul
1966 - In Our Image
1966 - Love Is Strange
1966 - People Get Ready
1966 - What Am I Living For
1966 - Two Yanks in England
1967 - The Hit Sound of the Everly Brothers
1967 - The Everly Brothers Sing
1967 - Leave My Girl Alone
1967 - Somebody Help Me
1968 - Roots
1969 - Wake up Little Susie
1970 - Chained to a Memory
1970 - Everly Brothers Show
1972 - Stories We Could Tell
1973 - Don't Worry Baby
1973 - Pass the Chicken & Listen
1975 - Everlys
1977 - New Album
1981 - Nashville Tennessee Nov 1955
1981 - The Everly Brothers
1984 - Eb 84
1984 - The Reunion Concert (live)
1985 - Home Again
1985 - All They Had to Do Was Dream
1986 - Born Yesterday
1988 - The Everly Brothers (Bella Musica)
1989 - Some Hearts
1994 - Wake up Little Susie
1995 - Reunion Concert, Vol. 1 (live)
1995 - Reunion Concert, Vol. 2 (live)
1995 - Original British Singles
1996 - Everly Brothers in Concert (live)
1996 - In Concert: The Reunion (live)
1999 - Reunion Concert (live)
1999 - Complete Reunion Concert (live)
2000 - Everly Brothers Live
2000 - Everly Brothers Reunion Concert

Pop Sub Categories

pop

Essential Music Albums

Roots (Warner Bros.)
All-Time Original Hits (Rhino)

Band Members

Don Everly vocals,guitar
Phil Everly vocals, guitar

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