Don Everly, inaugural member of Rock Hall of Fame, dies at 84

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Don Everly, one-half of the pioneering Everly Brothers whose harmonizing state stone hits impacted a procreation of stone ‘n’ rotation music, has died. He was 84.

According to the Los Angeles Times, a household spokesperson said Everly died astatine his location successful Nashville, Tennessee, connected Saturday. His brother, Phil Everly, died successful January 2014 astatine property 74.

In the precocious 1950s and 1960s, the duo of Don and Phil drew upon their agrarian roots with their strummed guitars and high, yearning harmonies, portion their poignant songs — galore by the squad of Felice and Boudleaux Bryant — embodied teenage restlessness and energy. Their 19 apical 40 hits included “Bye Bye Love,” “Let It Be Me,” “All I Have to Do Is Dream” and “Wake Up Little Susie,” and performers from the Beatles to Simon & Garfunkel cited them arsenic cardinal influences.

“The Everly Brothers are integral to the cloth of American music,” said Jerry Lee Lewis successful a statement. “With my person Don’s passing, I americium reflective … reflective connected a beingness afloat of fantastic friends, spectacular euphony and fond memories. There’s a batch I tin accidental astir Don, what helium and Phil meant to maine some arsenic radical and arsenic musicians, but I americium going to bespeak today.”

Songs similar “Bye Bye Love” and “Wake Up Little Susie” appealed to the post-war procreation of babe boomers, and their deceptively elemental harmonies hid greater meaning among the lighter popular fare of the era.

The 2 broke up amid quarreling successful 1973 aft 16 years of hits, past reunited successful 1983, “sealing it with a hug,” Phil Everly said.

Although their fig of deed records declined successful the precocious 1980s, they had palmy performance tours successful the U.S. and Europe.

They were inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame successful 1986, the aforesaid twelvemonth they had a deed pop-country record, “Born Yesterday.” Two years earlier, they had occurrence with the up-tempo ballad “On the Wings of a Nightingale,” written by Paul McCartney.

“As a singer, a songwriter and a guitar innovator, Don Everly was 1 of the astir talented and impactful artists successful fashionable euphony history,” said Kyle Young, CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, successful a statement. The brothers were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame successful 2001.

Don Everly was calved successful Brownie, Kentucky, to Ike and Margaret Everly, who were people and state euphony singers. Phil Everly was calved to the mates successful Chicago, wherever the Everlys moved from Brownie erstwhile Ike grew bushed of moving successful the ember mines.

The brothers began singing state euphony successful 1945 connected their family’s vigor amusement successful Shenandoah, Iowa.

Their vocation breakthrough came erstwhile they moved to Nashville successful the mid-1950s and signed a signaling declaration with New York-based Cadence Records.

Their breakup came dramatically during a performance astatine Knott’s Berry Farm successful California. Phil Everly threw his guitar down and walked off, prompting Don Everly to archer the crowd, “The Everly Brothers died 10 years ago.”

The disputes betwixt the brothers adjacent went to court, erstwhile Don Everly sued the heirs of Phil Everly successful 2017 implicit the copyright to 3 of their songs, including “Cathy’s Clown.” The lawsuit went each the mode to the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals.

But aft Phil’s decease successful 2014, Don said that helium felt a spiritual connection from his member earlier helium died.

“Our emotion was and volition ever beryllium deeper than immoderate earthly differences we mightiness person had,” Don Everly said successful a connection successful 2014.

While apart, they pursued solo singing careers with small success. Phil besides appeared successful the 1978 Clint Eastwood movie “Every Which Way but Loose.” Don made a mates of records with friends successful Nashville, performed successful section nightclubs and played guitar and sang inheritance vocals connected signaling sessions.

Don Everly said successful a 1986 Associated Press interrogation that helium and his member were palmy due to the fact that “we ne'er followed trends. We did what we liked and followed our instincts. Rock ‘n’ rotation did survive, and we were close astir that. Country did survive, and we were close astir that. You tin premix the two, but radical said we couldn’t.”

Decades later, their interaction connected fashionable euphony is inactive evident. In 2013, Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong and Norah Jones released a loving tribute to the Everlys connected their collaborative medium “Foreverly.”