Everly Brotherly Love

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This is about a bit a of a music epiphany that I went through.

You've probably noticed in the news, that one of the Everly brothers, Phil, passed away a couple of weeks back, on 3rd January 2014... I noticed as well. When I was little, and then again in my teens, my older brothers used to listen to radio stations that played "oldies" kind of music, and I used to hear that name on the radio. I knew that the "Everly Brothers" were a band from the 60's, but if you asked me a couple of weeks ago, I wouldn't be able to name a single song by them.

Phil and Don Everly performing, 1964. Image source


Then for some reason, I thought I should look into them a little bit and typed the name into YouTube searchbox. Subsequently I had my mind blown. It turned out... that I had already known a lot of their songs, I had known them and loved them, only I didn't realize it was the Everly Brothers singing! There was more then 10 songs that I knew so well I could sing along in those lovely harmonies. Similarly to my Beatles epiphany that I had when I was about 14 (which was one of the most beautiful moments in the story of me learning english), I sang along and realized I understood the lyrics... What to my little 5-year-old ears seemed like strange sounds that I would try to immitate, years later... at a point where I'm practically bilingual, they were words with meaning. And the guitar riffs! the oh so famous guitar riffs that I would recognize anywhere, also because my brothers used to play some of the songs when I was little... *Nostalgia overload*

It suddenly made me very sad that it took me so long to realize and appreciate what Phil and Don meant for music. It was their unique harmonies that insipired and influenced a lot of big music names from the 60's onwards, a lot of which I really like. And all the while, it was the Everlys who started it and I didn't know. I only realized a couple of weeks after Phil passed away :(



I watched a little documentary about their career, I watched the reunion concert they did in Royal Albert Hall in 1983 following a 10-year split, and I got a bit teary. (Also, it seems like I have a thing for brothers who play guitars and sing in harmonies... :D )

Anyway, here is a little YouTube playlist that I made, compiling their biggest hits and my favourite tunes. Have a listen of you will. And spare a thought or a prayer for the wonderful Phil Everly. Who knows where pop music would have turned if it wasn't for his sweet harmonising voice.


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