Everly Brothers

Formed: Kentucky, USA . . . 1955 by brothers DON and PHIL EVERLY, the offspring of country singing parents, IKE and MARGARET. No strangers to the music scene (the boys having appeared on numerous radio shows alongside their folks), they went to Nashville later that year hoping that hillbilly artists would buy their close harmony songs. The following year, they secured a deal with 'Columbia' records, the label releasing one country-style single, 'KEEP A LOVIN' ME', before opting out as the rock'n'roll era began to kick in. After a short struggle in an attempt to find another label, their father contacted old friend, star picker CHET ATKINS, who got them signed as writers for the legendary Roy Acuff/Wesley Rose songsmith team. ROSE subsequently became the siblings' manager, persuading Bleyer of 'Cadence' records to take them on as recording artists.
Adopting a new style combining their vocal harmonies with pop'n'roll strumming, The EVERLY BROTHERS made an immediate impact with 'BYE BYE LOVE', a million selling single which peaked summer. Their profile heightened by a handful of TV appearances on things like Ed Sullivan and Perry Como, the brothers' clean-cut looks and teen heartbreak appeal saw further singles, 'WAKE UP LITTLE SUSIE', 'ALL I HAVE TO DO IS DREAM' and 'BIRD DOG fare equally well over the ensuing three years. In 1960, they signed to 'Warner Bros' scoring a transatlantic chart topper with their label debut, 'CATHY'S CLOWN' a 45 that had to battle for chart supremacy against reissued 'Cadence material'
The lads were now also relying on their own material, having left the Felice & Boudleaux Bryant songwriting duo behind when they switched. A further clutch of major hits, 'SO SAD (TO WATCH GOOD LOVE GO BAD), 'WALK RIGHT BACK', 'TEMPTATION', 'CRYIN' IN THE RAIN etc, saw them dominate the pre-BEATLES pop charts in both America and Britain, although it would be the UK who stood by the duo when the onslaught of the 1963-64 British Invasion took hold. In 1965, as their American profile was on the wane, they scored considerable critical and commercial success as the classic, THE PRICE OF LOVE' hit No.2 in Britain (criminally ignored in their homeland). Their records continued to sell moderately throughout the latter half of the 60's, although a dalliance with country rock in the early 70's brought little commercial reward; the increasingly estranged brothers finally parted company on less than amicable terms during a disastrous gig on the 14th of July '73. Over the next ten years, the brothers followed sporadically successful solo careers (PHIL, together with CLIFF RICHARD had a 1983 UK Top 10 hit 'SHE MEANS NOTHING TO ME'), eventually coming together again for a reunion concert in '83; they were back on speaking terms after attending the funeral of their father. The resulting live album put The EVERLY BROTHERS back in the UK Top 50 as did the following year's eponymous (PAUL McCARTNEY-produced) comeback set, and although they maintained their working relationship they failed to keep up the momentum.

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