Don Everly From Everly Brothers Passed Away At 84

RIP

Don Everly, a pioneer of rock ‘n roll and half of the Everly Brothers, passed away at 84 on Saturday in his home in Nashville. The cause of death was not announced.

“Don lived by what he felt in his heart,” his family said in a statement to the Los Angeles Times. “Don expressed his appreciation for the ability to live his dreams … with his soulmate and wife, Adela, and sharing the music that made him an Everly Brother.”

Don and his younger brother, Phil Everly rose to prominence in the early days of rock ‘n roll. They became a popular duo starting in the late 1950s thanks to songs like “Bye Bye Love,” “All I Have to Do is Dream,” and “Wake Up Little Susie.”

Rolling Stone magazine dubbed them as the “most important vocal duo in rock”, and they influenced the next generation of musicians such as The Beatles, Simon & Garfunkel, and the Beach Boys. Most of their songs were penned by outside writers, but it was Don who wrote three of their finest tracks – “Cathy’s Clown,” “(‘Til) I Kissed You”, and “So Sad (to Watch Good Love Go Bad).”

“There were no barriers between country and rock, you know? Nobody thought about it,” Don told Rolling Stone.

“When Phil and I started out, everybody hated rock & roll,” he revealed. “The record companies didn’t like it at all — felt it was an unnecessary evil. Interviewers were always older than us, and they let you know they didn’t like your music, they were just doing the interview because it was their job.”

Tributes have been pouring following the news of Don’s death.