Don Everly, Half of Country Rock Duo The Everly Brothers, Dead at 84

It’s a sad day again for the country music industry. Don Everly, the other half of the pioneering and chart-topping country rock-and-roll duo The Everly Brothers, has died. He was 84. 

The news was confirmed by The Los Angeles Times through a family spokesperson on Saturday night. He died at his home in Nashville, but the family did not say the cause of the death. Don’s death came seven years after the death of his partner and younger Phil, who died from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at 74. 

A part of his family’s statement said that Don lived with his heart, and he appreciated the ability to live out his dreams with his soulmate and wife, Adela. 

Don was born to singer parents Ike and Margaret Everly in Kentucky in 1937, and two years later, the family moved to Chicago, where his brother was born. The family then relocated to Nashville during the 1950s. And it was in the late 1950s that the Tennessee-raised brothers finally released their self-titled album and burst into the music scene. 

Throughout their successful decades-long career, The Everly Brothers released 21 studio albums and a share of chart-topping hits like “All I Have to Do Is Dream,” “Problems,” and “Bye Bye Love,” to name a few. They continued to perform as a duo until their highly-publicized falling out during the 1980s due to songwriting credits as well as royalties. After that, Don pursued a solo career and released several records, including ‘Sunset Towers’ and ‘Brother Jukebox’.

In 1986, The Everly Brothers were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as part of the inaugural group of artists alongside Buddy Holly, Elvis Presley, and Chuck Berry. 

Don Everly is survived by his wife Adela and their four children – Edan, Venetia, Stacy, and Erin.