The Everly Brothers

1
The Everly Brothers

• The pride of Muhlenberg Co. Ky
• Don - b. 2/1/37
• Phil b. 1/19/39
• Considered the most important duo in rock
• emphasis on harmony influenced the likes of The
  Beatles folk acts like Simon and Garfunkel
• Sons of country stars Ike Margaret Everly
• Grew up in the music business
• 1957 signed w/ Cadence Records
• Bye, Bye Love (2) had been rejected by 30
  previous acts

• Heyday lasted through 1962
• Cumulative record sales 35 million
• Averaged a Top 10 hit every 4 months
• Broke up in 1973, started making music again in
  mid-80s

2
Buddy Holly

• Charles Hardin Holley
• b. 9/7/36 d. 2/3/59
• Back up band was The Crickets until 1958
• Waylon Jennings was a member for a short time
• Wrote his own material
• Pioneered what became the standard for rock
  instrumentation
• 2 guitars (lead, rhythm) bass drums
• Huge influence on major rock figures such as Bob
  Dylan and Paul McCartney

• Started in Lubbock, Tx
• Purely country when he started making music,
  failed recording w/ Decca
• Returned to Lubbock in 1956

3

• 1956-57 Holly and drummer Jerry Allison played
  w/ well-known stars as they passed through
  Lubbock
• Once opened for a young Elvis Presley (influenced
  Hollys change to pure rock n roll)
• 1957 - Signed w/ Coral/Brunswick label
• First hit was Thatll Be The Day (1)
• Due to a contractual agreement, some singles were
  released by the Crickets, some w/ Hollys name
  only
• Next hits under this arrangement was Peggy Sue
  (3) 1958s Oh Boy! (10)
• 1958 Holly left the Crickets his money was
  tied up due to legal issues between the two
  parties
• Prompted him to do a tour of the Midwest in
  winter of 58-59
• Backed up by Tommy Allsup, Carl Bunch and Waylon
  Jennings on tour
• Holly produced Jennings first album Jole Blon

4
The Day the Music Died

• February 3, 1959
• While in Clear Lake, Iowa tired of riding the
  bus and wanting to get some rest, Holly, The Big
  Bopper Richie Valens chartered a plane
• The plane took off for Moorhead, Minnesota
  crashed only minutes later, killing everyone on
  board
• Holly left behind enough old demos and unreleased
  recordings for several posthumous releases
• 1978 The Buddy Holly Story was released staring
  Gary Busey as Holly
• 1986 inducted into the RRHoF
• British rock band The Hollies were named after
  Buddy Holly
• Don McLeans American Pie inspired by Hollys
  death
• Weezer released a song called Buddy Holly
  Nirvanas video for In Bloom pays tribute to Holly