Wow.
I was so wrapped up in everything yesterday,I didn't
hear about this until I logged on and read IMDb's front page article.
I wasn't even born yet when the Everly's had their success but I did first hear them on a 70s album called "Fonzie's Favorites",a collection of 1950s hits,which included their "Bird Dog" .Their songs were also used on Happy Days itself.
The two had a great harmony together,no question and blended rock,pop & country in what seemed like an effortless way. No doubt that's why they had an impressive 27 top 40 hits on The Billboard Pop Charts (Out of 75 singles total).
Their first single "Keep A Lovin' Me",on Columbia,didn't make any chart but Bye,Bye Love broke them natioanlly in '57. Their final hit was "Bowling Green" in 1967,reaching #40. They had 17 more singles up to 1988 but fared a bit better on the country charts.
The Everly Brothers then decided to take time off from performing, announcing their final performance together would be on July 14, 1973, at Knotts Berry Farm in California.
Unfortunately, high tensions between the two began to surface during the show as the band skipped several songs and the brothers began to argue on stage (It's said Don, Phil and the band had engaged in some drinking backstage before the show.)
Finally, Don threw his guitar on the ground smashing it, saying: "I'm through being an Everly Brother", and stormed off the stage, while Phil went on performing the rest of the numbers by himself. amidst much acrimony. Phil ended up telling the crowd "The Everly Brothers died ten years ago".
Reportedly, they did not speak to each other for almost a decade, except at their father's funeral in 1975. They reunited in 1983 and remained close both as artists and brothers.
RIP Phil Everly