The Everly Brothers
Isaac Donald Everly, born in Brownie, Kentucky in 1937.
Philip was born in Chicago in 1939
The Everly Brothers were one of the top acts in rock-and-roll history and, perhaps, are more responsible than anyone for moving country songs onto the pop charts.
Ike Everly and to a lesser extent, his wife Margaret, were well-known in the South
and the Midwest as folk and country music performers. Ike was a guitar player who
had been influenced by Merle Travis, Sam McGee and other country music artists earlier
in the Twentieth Century. Isaac Donald Everly was born in Brownie, Kentucky in 1937 and his brother Philip was born in Chicago. The boys began singing
with their parents at ages eight and six respectively, a practice that they continued through high school. By the mid-40's Ike and Margaret had a radio show in Iowa and were joined on it by their sons Don and Phil. The boys had both learned to play the guitar and when their parents retired in the 50's, Don and Phil struck out on their own. They went to Nashville at the invitation of Chet Atkins in 1955 and began to write songs for Acuff-Rose.
They recorded a single on Columbia called "Keep On Lovin' Me" that made the country charts. Kitty Wells recorded a song that made number 14 hit in 1954 with "Thou Shalt Not Steal", a song that had been written by Don Everly.
The Everly Brothers signed a recording contract with Archie Bleyer's Cadence label in 1957. They recorded a song that had been written by Felice and Boudleaux Bryant on the Cadence label and suddenly had their first big hit with Bye Bye Love, which reached number one on the country charts and crossed over to reach number two on the pop charts, in addition to being a hit in England. Bye Bye Love sold huge amounts in advance orders before anyone had ever even heard this song. At the time country music was in a bit of decline as rock-and-roll music, led by Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Little Richard and others was becoming increasingly popular. The Everly Brothers' recording of Bye Bye Love rejuvenated the music business in Nashville, and it established Don and Phil Everly as legendary performers. Phil was married for some time to the daughter of another artist on the Cadence label, Janet Bleyer of the Chordettes.