We’re not only losing the stars of early rock and roll, that dwindling cadre of 1950s musical pioneers… we’re also losing, day by day, most of its fans. It’s been barely an average human lifetime since guitars were electrified, voices harmonized, blues and country and swing unified—into a new sonic style unlike anything heard before. But music has evolved enough, and rock and roll has moved on enough, that too many of us are forgetting, ignoring, its truly still-fresh roots. The first generation of listeners are dwindling too, as are the numbers of “golden oldie” radio and satellite stations. Tastes have irrevocably changed. There’s little room these days, on our playlists and, if we’re being honest, in our consciousness, for the doo-wop vocals and imprecise strumming that defined the fifties.
Except maybe on days like this. Phil Everly, the younger (by two years) of the world-changing Everly Brothers, died yesterday in L.A. from complications of COPD. He was 74.
Phil and brother Don were still in high school, performing locally in Knoxville, Tennessee, when they attracted the attention of guitar legend Chet Atkins. Their duo career began in earnest in 1956, with one of their first singles, “Bye Bye Love,” hitting number two on the pop charts. There was no looking back from there.
By the sixties, though, music was already changing. Their last top-ten hit was in 1962, ironically titled “That’s Old Fashioned.” They were further removed from the spotlight by enlisting, in unison, in the U.S. Marine Corps. After their discharge, they continued performing and recording until the early 1970s, with sparse commercial success. They split in 1973, reportedly acrimoniously, and pursued parallel solo careers.
Thankfully that wasn’t to last. They reunited in 1983, a few years before their induction (as part of the inaugural class) into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. They performed together sporadically, and even occasionally recorded, before retiring in 2006.
Phil Everly, as part of the duo and as a solo musician, has traced an indelible path in the music we remember, and the music we enjoy today. We might not always recognize the contributions of the rock and roll originators, the Everly Brothers and all the rest, and we certainly don’t listen to them nearly as much as we should. But that does nothing to change the facts, and the fact is, our music today would be a lot more bland, a lot less enjoyable, had Phil Everly never been born. We owe him much for that.
So scroll down a little, click play, and listen to what Phil and his brother Don have given you. It’s not quite the same as giving him the thanks he deserves, but something tells me it’s all the thanks he really wanted. Enjoy.
