Phil Everly, one half of the legendary Everly Brothers, whose harmonies with his brother, Don, influenced a generation of artists including The Beatles, The Beach Boys, and The Byrds, has died aged 74 in Burbank, California, following complications from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
“We are absolutely heartbroken,” said his wife, Patti Everly, as reported by The Age. She noted that Everly — who was responsible for hits such as When Will I Be Loved and The Price of Love — was suffering as a result of a lifetime of cigarette smoking, adding, “He fought long and hard.”
The Everly Brothers reached the height of their fame in the late 1950s and early 1960s, sending nearly three dozen hits into the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart — several of them self-penned — including Cathy’s Clown, Wake Up Little Susie, Bye Bye Love, and All I Have to Do Is Dream.
Their lasting contribution to rock and roll made them one of the first 10 performers inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame when it was first established in 1986. Tributes have started pouring out from the music community, with many, including Linda Ronstadt, noting the brothers’ harmonies.
“The information of your DNA is carried in your voice, and you can get a sound that you never get with someone who’s not blood related to you. And they were both such good singers – they were one of the foundations, one of the cornerstones of the new rock ‘n’ roll sound,” said Ronstadt.
Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day and singer Norah Jones, who together recorded Foreverly, a tribute album to the Everly Brothers, expressed their condolences, with Armstrong tweeting, “I am saddened by the news of the passing of Phil Everly… Those harmonies will live on forever.”
“The Everlys had a huge influence on all kinds of musicians,” said Jones in a statement, as reported by Rolling Stone. “The high harmonies Phil sang were fluid and so beautiful and always sound effortless… He was one of our greats and it’s very sad to lose him.”
(Via The Age)
