Don Everly

GONE GONE GONE

The surviving half of the Everly Brothers, Don, has made the opening of this sentence no longer accurate aged 84. The Everly Brothers had 11 number one singles in the US, and four number ones in the UK, only narrowly beaten by Elvis Presley for a 5th in 1965 with The Price of Love. Songs such as Cathy’s Clown and All I Have to Do is Dream were the standouts of their era, and their usual layout of songs was a huge influence on Paul McCartney and John Lennon. Neil Young said, inducting them into the first ever Rock n Roll Hall of Fame, that every band tried to copy Don and Phil’s harmonies but failed.

Both brothers played guitar, heavily inspiring 60s acts like the Beach Boys and Simon and Garfunkel, the latter of which were so close to the Everly’s style as to almost be a tribute act. Also, because he wasn’t talented enough, Don Everly also wrote Cathy’s Clown, the biggest chart hit of 1960. Vices and arguments ended the bands heyday, but they both lived into old age (Phil predeceased Don in 2014) to see themselves venerated as pioneers of modern music. Hell, the tribulations of teenage angst in song that they carved out a niche for, is still prevalent in modern pop with the likes of Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish.  

He was picked by 5 teams, including The Survivors, Shake Rattle Roll Over and Play Dead, and, err, Doctor Who named The Keys of Marinus.

Don Everly
1 February 1937 – 21 August 2021
5 teams