Background

Phil Everly, born Phillip, was born on January 19, 1939, in Chicago, Illinois, United States. He was the son of Isaac Milford and Margaret Everly. He was two years younger than his brother, Don. Phil's father was a Kentucky coal miner who became a musician and moved the family to Chicago. They later moved to Iowa, where by age 6, "Baby Boy Phil" and his 8-year-old brother "Little Donnie," were singing with both their parents on morning radio.

Education

Phil and his brother attended West High School in Knoxville, Tennessee. Phil also attended Peabody Demonstration School (now University School of Nashville) in Nashville and graduated in 1957.

Career

When the Everly moved to Knoxville Tennessee, and Phil and Don transitioned to a duo, they caught the attention of Chet Atkins, who became an early champion of the brothers. He arranged for them to record for Columbia Records in early 1956. Their first and only single 'Keep a Lovin' Me' flopped and they were dropped from the label.

Atkins kept up his encouragement and introduced them to Wesley Rose of Acuff-Rose music publishers who were impressed with their songwriting talents. Rose told them that if they signed as songwriters they would also get a recording deal. By early 1957, Rose introduced them to Archie Bleyer, who was looking for artists for his Cadence Records label. Their first session in the recording studio for Cadence was in February 1957.

'Bye Bye Love,' their first single, had already been rejected by 30 other acts, but the Everlys saw the potential in the song and reached number 2 in the pop charts behind someone called Elvis Presley singing 'Let Me Be Your Teddy Bear.' They hit number 1 in the country charts, and number 5 in the R&B charts.

They toured extensively with Buddy Holly during 1957 and 1958 and were responsible for the change in style for Holly and the Crickets from Levis and t-shirts to sharp Ivy League suits. Don claimed Holly was a generous songwriter. He wrote 'Wishing for the pair.' Phil later about Holly and themselves that they "were all from the South. We'd started in country music."

After signing the new contract with Warner Brothers, they went on to have a string of top 10 hits and by the end of 1962, they had earned $35 million from record sales.

However, signing with Warner led to a fall out with their manager Wesley Rose, and his music publishing company, so they were shut off from the Acuff-Rose songwriters, particularly Felice and Boudleaux Bryant who had written the majority of their hits up to that point, as well as not being able to write themselves, as they were still contracted to the company. They recorded a mix of covers and songs by other writers in order to avoid paying royalties to Acuff-Rose, and also used the collective name Jimmy Howard on a couple of tracks, a move which backfired when it was discovered and Acuff-Rose legally assumed the copyrights.

Their last United States top ten hit was 1962's 'That's Old Fashioned,' which had been previously recorded but unreleased by the Chordettes. They also enlisted in the United States Marine Corps Reserve in late 1961 for 6 months rather than being drafted into the Army for two years active service, which took them out of the spotlight for a while. While on-leave they performed Jezebel and Crying in the Rain on the Ed Sullivan Show, but from there on their United States chart success was limited, although they remained popular in the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia.

The Hollies backed them on the 1966 album 'Two Yanks in England' and also wrote many of the album's songs.

Their album 'Roots' has been critically acclaimed as one of the finest early country-rock albums, but the 1970s would see their popularity wane even more, in spite of being the summer replacements for Johnny Cash's television show in 1970. Don released his solo album that same year, but it was not a success. Their final performance together during the 70s was on July 14th, 1973. Tensions began to surface during the show when the band skipped several songs, and the brothers started arguing on stage. Phil smashed his guitar, said "I’m through being an Everly Brother" and stormed off the stage, while Don went on playing the numbers by himself. He ended up telling the crowd "The Everly Brothers died ten years ago." They reportedly didn't speak to each other for almost a decade, save for at their father's funeral in 1975.

They both performed solo in the coming years with Phil being the more active, and more successful of the two.

Phil released his first solo record in 1973. 'Star Spangled Springer' trod upon the same rootsy ground as the Everlys' last records and was a small critical success. Phil Everly released Phil's Diner in 1974 and Mystic Line in 1975, neither of which were well-received. He tried his hand at acting, appearing in Clint Eastwood's Any Which Way But Loose, and did some freelance songwriting.

One of the highlights of his solo career is his recording of 'The Air That I Breathe,' which predates the Hollies version, was arranged by Warren Zevon and produced by Duane Eddy.

They were coaxed back together for a triumphant reunion show on HBO in 1983, with Dave Edmunds producing the album and McCartney returning a long-overdue favor by writing their comeback single 'On the Wings of a Nightingale,' and the album 'EB '84' achieved considerable success.

The Everly Brothers were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986, the same year that they scored a top 20 country hit with the title track from the album Born Yesterday. Both brothers sang on the title track of Graceland, at the invitation of their long-time admirer Paul Simon. Simon & Garfunkel had recorded the Everlys' 'Bye Bye Love' and 'Little Susie,' and they invited the brothers on their Old Friends reunion tour in 2003-2004.

Phil set up his own Everly Music Company, which sold musical instrument accessories designed by Phil and his eldest son, Jason.

Achievements

• 

  Phil Everly is known as a member of The Everly Brothers, which became one of the most acclaimed duos in rock music history. They were responsible for such classic hit songs as "Bye Bye Love" (1957), "Wake Up Little Susie" (1957), and "All I Have To Do Is Dream."
  
  Phil Everly received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997, as a part of The Everly Brothers. He was also honored to receive three separate inductions into the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Vocal Group Hall of Fame, and the Rockabilly Hall of Fame. Phil and Don Everly were awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Recording at 7000 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California.
  
  Phil and his brother Don were voted the 33rd Greatest Rock 'n' Roll Artists of all time by Rolling Stone.
  
  The Everly Brothers were inducted into the International Guitar Hall of Fame as a team. Phil was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2001 with his brother Don Everly. The Everly Brothers were inducted into the Hit Parade Hall of Fame in 2008.
  
  

Works

More photos

• music

  • Songs Our Daddy Taught Us 1958
  • The Everly Brothers 1958
  • The Everly Brothers Sing 1967
  • EB 84 1984
  • Roots 1968
  • It's Everly Time! 1960
  • Date with the Everly Brothers 1960
  • Two Yanks In England 1966
  • Stories We Could Tell 1972
  • Star Spangled Springer 1973
  • The Everly Brothers Show 1970
  • Pass The Chicken & Listen 1972
  • Both Sides Of An Evening 1961
  • Instant Party 1962
  • Christmas With The Everly Brothers And The Boys Town Choir 1962
  • The Everly Brothers Sing Great Country Hits 1963
  • Gone Gone Gone 1964
  • Rock 'N Soul 1965
  • Beat & Soul 1965
  • In Our Image 1966
  • The Hit Sound Of The Everly Brothers 1967
  • The Everly Brothers Sing 1967
  • Born Yesterday 1986
  • Some Hearts 1980
  • There's Nothing Too Good 1974
  • Mystic Line 1975

Politics

Phil was a Republican whereas his brother Don is a Democrat.

Views

Quotations: "Singing harmony is not the same as singing a part in a choral group, where you know you're going to have to hit this note and then that note. There are nuances that change every day. Maybe today you have a slight cold or voice fatigue, or you've done something and there's a slight difference in your breathing."

Personality

In his late years, Phil Everly embraced the styles and family values that defined his generation, spending time with family, recording music on cassettes, driving his '49 Cadillac convertible in local parades and falling asleep to classic westerns with John Wayne or Gene Autry.

Quotes from others about the person

• Phil Everly was one of my great heroes. With his brother Don, they were one of the major influences on The Beatles. When John and I first started to write songs, I was Phil and he was Don. Years later when I finally met Phil, I was completely starstruck and at the same time extremely impressed by his humility and gentleness of soul. I will always love him for giving me some of the sweetest musical memories of my life." - Paul McCartney

Interests

• Watching TV

• Music & Bands

  Rock and roll, Louvin Brothers

Connections

Phil Everly was married to Jacqueline Alice Ertel (1963-1970), Patricia Mickey (1972-1978) and Patrice Yvonne Arnold (1999-until Phil's death). He had two sons, Jason and Chris, both of whom pursued a career in music.

Father:

Isaac Milford "Ike" Everly

Mother:

Margaret Everly

Son:

Christopher Everly

Son:

Jason Everly

ex-wife:

Jacqueline Alice Ertel

Wife:

Patrice Yvonne Arnold

ex-wife:

Patricia Mickey

Brother:

Don Everly

colleague:

Paul McCartney

colleague:

Roy Orbison

colleague:

John Lennon

colleague:

Buddy Holly

colleague:

Jerry Lee Lewis

colleague:

Bo Diddley

colleague:

Ray Charles

colleague:

Paul Simon

References

• The Everly Brothers: Walk Right Back
  1998
• Ike's Boys: The Story of the Everly Brothers
  1990
• The Everly Brothers: Ladies Love Outlaws
  1991