Ten Homegrown Favorites: Don Everly (#2)

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Good evening, and welcome to the penultimate celebration of a Kentucky-born musician. With today's entry you probably know who #1 is as well. Nevertheless, I'll humor you and complete the series. Here's the next person on the list of favorite musicians from Kentucky. #2: Don Everly Hey, what about Phil? He was born in Chicago. In fact, the Everly Brothers spent most of their childhood in Iowa. But they always bragged about being Kentuckians...and who are we to argue? Don was born in the coal mining region of Muhlenberg County (the same area that John Prine sang about in "Paradise"). Phil was born two years later after the family had moved away. Their career started in Knoxville (the "cradle of the Country Music Hall of Fame" as I call it...and I can give you enough names to justify it!), then they moved to Nashville, where Chet Atkins heard them. The rest, as they say, is history. The Everly Brothers came along at a perfect time: their music had definite, unmistakable country roots and influences (the Louvin Brothers were a big influence on their harmonies), yet there was enough youthful exuberance to appeal to the rock and roll and rockabilly crowds. And, much like Elvis, at the height of their career, they joined the military....in this case, the Marines. (Yes, can you imagine those two boys as Marines?! Semper fi!) By the time they'd finished their military service music had changed and moved on from them. In the early 70s they hired a piano player as part of their live band and to do their arrangements. When Phil and Don split the piano player continued to work with Phil. His name was Warren Zevon. And, for some real trivia, Phil's father-in-law was running for office in Pitkin County, Colorado. Zevon did some music for his campaigns and asked, in return, if he could have a political appointment. Once Phil's father-in-law won he repaid Warren...by naming him the honorary coroner of the county. (David Letterman simply said, when Zevon revealed this in 1982, "Did you," to which Zevon quickly replied, "No." ) The brothers reunited frequently, doing benefit concerts to raise money for college scholarships for the children in Muhlenberg County. Phil died of COPD in 2014. The brothers were inducted into multiple halls of fame and influenced countless acts. Even Green Day lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong paid tribute to the Everlys with the album Foreverly, recorded with Norah Jones. To say the very least, the music of the Everly Brothers is timeless. Don Everly Born Isaac Donald Everly, February 1, 1937, Brownie Genres: rock, rockabilly, country Rock and Roll Hall of Fame - 1986 Country Music Hall of Fame - 2001 Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame - 2001 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award - 1997 (All as part of the Everly Brothers) Some of the most influential music in history: