Everly Brothers

The Everly Brothers were an American close harmony duo from Kentucky. They influenced early rock 'n' roll by infusing it with country influences. Isaac Donald 'Don' Everly (1937- ) and Phillip 'Phil' Everly (1939-2014) had a string of hits on both sides of the Atlantic: in the UK alone, they racked up 33 top 40 chart entries between 1957-1968, including four number ones. Their material ranged from straight ahead rockers (Wake Up Little Susie) to tear-drenched ballads (Ebony Eyes) and even droll pieces of humour (Bird Dog). They influenced the Beatles (who once referred to themslves as 'the English Everly Brothers'), Beach Boys and Simon & Garfunkel (the latter duo covered the teen heartbreak anthem Bye Bye Love in their stage act). One of Peel's heroes, Roy Orbison, wrote Claudette which they backed with All I Have To Do Is Dream and made it the biggest-selling UK single of 1958.

The brothers were close friends with Buddy Holly (Holly wrote Wishing for the duo and Phil was one of the pallbearers at Holly's funeral): however, whereas Holly and the Crickets purveyed a kind of Tex-Mex rock, the Everlys used deft steel-string guitar solos which gave a surprisingly hard edge to some of their material. Like Elvis Presley, the brothers entered the army, enlisting in the Marine Reserves for six months rather than being drafted for two years: unlike Elvis, however, who was more popular when he returned to civilian life than before, their spell out of the spotlight did them no good (that and the fact that they were both addicted to speed). Although their popularity waned in the USA in the wake of the British invasion, they continued to be popular in the UK and elsewhere, but by the end of the decade even a well-received excursion into country rock could not return them to the heights of their earlier success. An acrimonious onstage split in 1973 resulted in them having no contact for almost a decade until they were reunited by guitarist Albert Lee.

Peel saw the Everlys at the Royal Albert Hall and was in the States just as they were at the peak of their powers and during their wane: his liking for their rockier style resulted in several plays and even a placing in the Peelenium. He also evinced a liking for the sparser sound of the LP Songs Our Daddy Taught Us, which AllMusic describes as being "quite a surprise from a top rock 'n' roll act, and considerably ahead of its time." On 08 May 2003 he described it as one of the saddest in his collection.

Phil Everly died of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease on January 4, 2014, two weeks shy of his 75th birthday.

Festive Fifty Entries

 * None

Peelenium

 * Peelenium 1959: 'Poor Jenny'

Sessions

 * None

Other Shows Played

 * 18 July 1970: 'Kiss Your Man Goodbye (LP-Two Yanks In England)' (Warner Bros)
 * 17 October 1970: 'I'm On My Way Home Again (7")' (Warner Bros)
 * 07 April 1972: 'Keep A-Knockin' (one of three versions played back to back)
 * 21 April 1972: 'Claudette (7")' (London)
 * 25 April 1972: 'Mandolin Wind'
 * 02 May 1972: 'Green River (LP-The Everly Brothers)' (RCA)
 * 05 May 1972: 'Del Rio Dan (LP-The Everly Brothers)' (RCA)
 * 09 May 1972: 'Three Old Poker Playin' River Rats From New Orleans (LP-The Everly Brothers)' (RCA)
 * 05 July 1973: 'Stick With Me'
 * 01 July 1980: 'Kiss Your Man Goodbye (LP-Two Yanks In England)' (Warner Bros)
 * 01 September 1980: 'Be Bop A Lula'
 * 02 September 1980: 'Lucille (7" box set-So Sad)' (Old Gold)
 * 10 October 1988: 'Maybe Tomorrow'
 * 02 January 1989: 'Bird Dog'
 * 12 October 1991: 'The Price Of Love'
 * 25 July 1992: 'This Little Girl Of Mine'
 * 03 August 1992 (BFBS): 'This Little Girl Of Mine'
 * 27 August 1993 (BFBS): 'Hey Doll Baby'
 * 13 November 1993: 'I Wonder If I Care As Much (Compilation LP-Great B Sides Of The 50s and 60s-Fabulous Flips)'
 * 11 September 1997: 'Barbara Allen (LP-Songs Our Daddy Taught Us)' (Ace)
 * 07 October 1999: 'Poor Jenny' (Peelenium 1959)
 * 14 November 2002: 'Claudette (78 rpm)' (London) Pig's Big 78 2002
 * 08 May 2003: 'Barbara Allen (LP-Songs Our Daddy Taught Us)' (Ace) (JP: One day I'll play you a song from that album called I'm Here to Get My Baby Out of Jail, but you'd have to put up with me crying all the way through it.')
 * 13 May 2003: 'Kentucky (LP-Songs Our Daddy Taught Us)' (Ace)
 * 07 October 2003: 'Kiss Your Man Goodbye (LP-Two Yanks In England)' (Warner Bros)
 * 06 November 2003: 'Trying To Find Another Man (LP-Some Blue Eyed Soul)' (Pye)
 * Big O: 'Claudette'