The Everly Brothers were one of the most influential and popular rock and roll duos of all time, known for their distinctive harmonies and acoustic guitar playing. Jack Everly is a renowned conductor who has led orchestras across North America and beyond, and is also the music director of the National Memorial Day Concert and A Capitol Fourth on PBS. But are these two musical giants related by blood or by name? The answer may surprise you.
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The Everly Brothers: A Brief Biography
The Everly Brothers were born in the late 1930s in different states: Don in Kentucky and Phil in Illinois. Their parents, Ike and Margaret, were both musicians who performed as a country duo on radio shows. The young brothers joined them as “The Everly Family” and learned to sing and play guitar from their father. They moved to Nashville, Tennessee, in the early 1950s and began writing and recording their own songs. They signed with Cadence Records in 1957 and had their first hit with “Bye Bye Love”, written by Felice and Boudleaux Bryant. The song reached No. 1 on the country charts and No. 2 on the pop charts, launching their career as rock and roll stars. They followed up with more hits, such as “Wake Up Little Susie”, “All I Have to Do Is Dream”, “Cathy’s Clown”, and “When Will I Be Loved”. Their vocal style was influenced by bluegrass and Appalachian music, creating a unique blend of country and rock that inspired many artists, such as the Beatles, the Beach Boys, Simon and Garfunkel, and the Hollies. They also wrote some of their own songs, such as “Till I Kissed You” and “So Sad”. They switched to Warner Bros. Records in 1960 and continued to record until 1973, when they broke up due to personal and professional conflicts. They reunited in 1983 and performed sporadically until Phil’s death in 2014. Don died in 2021. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986 and the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2001.
Jack Everly: A Brief Biography
Jack Everly was born in 1952 in Richmond, Indiana. He graduated from the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University, where he studied music and set design. He became the conductor of the American Ballet Theatre in 1984, where he worked with Mikhail Baryshnikov and Marvin Hamlisch. He also conducted Broadway shows, such as Hello, Dolly! with Carol Channing. He is currently the principal pops conductor of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Naples Philharmonic Orchestra, and the National Arts Centre Orchestra (Ottawa). He has also guest conducted many other orchestras, such as the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the New York Pops, the San Francisco Symphony, and the Cleveland Orchestra. He is the music director of the National Memorial Day Concert and A Capitol Fourth on PBS, where he leads the National Symphony Orchestra in patriotic celebrations on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol. He also directs the IPL Yuletide Celebration, a holiday tradition in Indianapolis. He has recorded several albums, such as In The Presence with Daniel Rodriguez, Sandi Patty’s Broadway Stories, and Everything’s Coming Up Roses: The Complete Overtures Of Jule Styne. He received an honorary doctorate of music from Indiana University in 2021 and a Sagamore of the Wabash award from Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb in 2023.
The Musical Connection
So, are Jack Everly and the Everly Brothers related? The answer is no. They share a common surname but have no known family ties. However, they do have a musical connection that goes beyond their names. Jack Everly has been a fan of the Everly Brothers since he was a child and has performed some of their songs with his orchestras. He has also met Don Everly several times and considers him a friend. In fact, he dedicated his Sagamore of the Wabash award to Don Everly as a tribute to his musical legacy.
According to Wikipedia, Jack Everly said:
I’ve always loved their music since I was a kid…They were so influential to so many people…I’ve had occasion to meet Don several times over my life…He’s just a wonderful person…I’m very honored to have this award but I’m dedicating it to him because he’s given so much joy to so many people.
According to PBS, Jack Everly also said:
I grew up listening to them…They were my first introduction to harmony singing…They were just amazing…They influenced everybody…They influenced the Beatles, they influenced Simon and Garfunkel, they influenced the Beach Boys…They were just phenomenal.
Therefore, Jack Everly and the Everly Brothers are not related by blood, but they are related by music. They both have made significant contributions to the American musical landscape and have touched the hearts of millions of listeners. They are both legends in their own right and deserve to be celebrated and remembered.
