[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 3 (Tuesday, January 7, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Page S66]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                        REMEMBERING PHIL EVERLY

  Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, I rise today to bid farewell to a 
Kentucky son who became half of one of the most enduring and 
influential acts of country and rock and roll music. Phil Everly, of 
the hit-making duo the Everly Brothers, passed away this weekend at the 
age of 74.
  Phil and his older brother Don brought their trademark close harmony 
singing, modeled in the Appalachian country and bluegrass music 
tradition, to rock and roll beginning in the late 1950s. With songs 
including ``Bye Bye Love,'' ``Wake Up Little Susie,'' and ``All I Have 
to Do Is Dream,'' they consistently scored hits at the top of the 
charts.
  The Everly Brothers are famous the world over and influenced 
musicians such as the Beatles, the Beach Boys, Bob Dylan, Simon and 
Garfunkel, and many others. But they were especially beloved in their 
family's home State of Kentucky, and particularly in Central City, in 
Muhlenberg County, western Kentucky, which was the site of the Everly 
Brothers' Labor Day Homecoming Music Festival every year.
  This festival included many famous country and rock and roll music 
stars from the Everly Brothers themselves to Chet Atkins, Keith Urban, 
Billy Ray Cyrus, and Tammy Wynette. Money raised went to local 
charities.
  Phil and Don Everly's musical career was the result of a lifetime 
spent singing. Phil and Don were born the sons of a Kentucky coal miner 
turned country musician, Ike Everly, and his wife Margaret. The family 
moved to pursue musical opportunities and ended up playing live country 
music on the radio in Shenandoah, IA. The whole family was spotlighted, 
from Mom and Dad Everly to Little Donnie and 6-year-old ``Baby Boy 
Phil.'' Don and Phil spent their summers in their parents' home of 
Muhlenberg County.
  As teenagers the Everly Brothers started their own careers, first as 
songwriters, then as performers. In 1957 they scored a No. 1 hit with 
``Bye Bye Love.'' In their trademark style, Phil sang the high harmony 
notes while Don sang baritone, their voices intertwining in a way that 
sounded easy but was difficult to duplicate.
  They continued to have best-selling songs for several years, 
including 12 Billboard top 10 hits, and released the landmark country-
rock album ``Roots'' in 1968 that included snippets of their old family 
radio show. The Beatles have said that the vocal harmonies from their 
first No. 1 hit, ``Please Please Me'' of 1963, were modeled after the 
Everly Brothers' 1960 hit song ``Cathy's Clown.'' Phil was the author 
of one of the duo's best loved songs, ``When Will I Be Loved?,'' which 
was a top 10 hit for Linda Ronstadt in 1975.
  While older brother Don was born in Kentucky, younger brother Phil 
was actually born in Chicago on January 19, 1939. Nearly 50 years 
later, in 1988, the mayor of Central City gave Phil Everly an honorary 
Kentucky birth certificate. ``I really appreciate you making me a full-
blown Kentuckian,'' Phil said as he received it. ``I've been lying for 
a lot of years.''
  The Everly Brothers' Labor Day Homecoming Music Festival began in 
1988 as a way for the Everly Brothers to show their gratitude to their 
hometown fans. In 2010, the Central City Tourism Commission opened the 
Muhlenberg County Music Museum, which showcases a complete collection 
of Don and Phil's albums and features a 1950s-style jukebox that plays 
their biggest hits.
  Sadly, just before Phil's death, local western Kentucky fans of the 
Everly Brothers were planning a celebration of what would have been 
Phil's 75th birthday on January 19. Instead, the Central City Tourism 
Commission will host a memorial service at the museum on that day to 
celebrate Phil's life and music. Phil is survived by many family 
members and beloved friends, including his brother Don.
  I know my colleagues will join me in expressing gratitude and 
appreciation for the wonderful music that Phil, along with his brother 
Don, provided the world. The music of the Everly Brothers continues to 
provide joy to people to this day. Kentucky is honored to have played 
such a role in the shaping of this extraordinary musical family.

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