Died On This Date (January 3, 2014) Phil Everly / The Everly Brothers

Phil Everly
January 19, 1939 – January 3, 2014

phil-everlyPhil Everly, along with his brother Don Everly, are considered the must influential vocal duo pop music has ever known.  Working together as the Everly Brothers, they created such seamless and glorious harmonies that no less than members of the Byrds, the Beatles, and the Beach Boys have preached their influence ever since.  Born in Chicago, Illinois to a musical family, Phil learned to play the guitar at an early age.  Family patriarch, Ike Everly was a respected professional musician himself, so the boys were introduced to music as a way of life while still in their childhood.  Ultimately settling in Knoxville, Tennessee, the Everly family performed as a group throughout the area for many years.  By the early ’50s, Phil and Don were working as a duo, making an early believer out of Chet Atkins who helped then secure their first recording contract with Columbia Records.  Their first single, “Keep A’ Lovin’ Me,”  performed less than spectacularly, so Columbia dropped them.  Before they knew it, Acuff-Rose Publishing snatched Phil and Don up as songwriters while Roy Acuff helped land them a deal with Cadence Records. From there, the Everly Brothers’ career skyrocketed.  Their first release for Cadence, “Bye Bye Love” shot to #2 on the pop charts, #1 on the country charts, and #5 on the R&B charts.  What followed that million-seller was a string of hits that helped define the era.  Records like “Wake Up Little Susie,” “All I Have To Do Is Dream,” and “Cathy’s Clown”  earned the duo more than $35 Million dollars by 1962 – an astonishing sum at that time.  After the British Invasion hit the U.S. in 1964, the Everly Brothers’ shine diminished as teenagers scrambled for the new sound by the likes of the Beatles, who ironically, might not have ever crossed the Atlantic if it weren’t for Phil and Don.  By the dawn of the ’70s, the Everly Brothers had split up to pursue solo careers.  Phil worked with likes of  Warren Zevon and Roy Wood, and later scored a hit with “Don’t Say You Don’t Love Me No More,” a tune he wrote and performed with actress, Sondra Locke in the Clint Eastwood hit film, Every Which Way But Loose.  In 1983, the Everly Brothers reunited for an acclaimed concert at the Royal Albert Hall in London.  The show was recorded and the subsequent album returned the duo to the charts.  Phil and Don continued to record and perform as a duo and individually well into the 2000s.  In all, they scored 35 Billboard Top 100 singles, a record that still stands to this day.  They  were also recognized with nearly every musical award you could think of including being part of the first group of ten artists inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986.  On January 3, 2014, it was announced that Phil Everly died of pulmonary disease.  He was 74.

What You Should Own

Click to find a amazon.com
Click to find a amazon.com


Died On This Date (November 1, 2013) Bobby Parker / American Blues Guitar Legend

Bobby Parker
August 31, 1937 – November 1, 2013

bobby-parkerBobby Parker was an American blues rock guitarist, singer and songwriter who counted no less than Led Zeppelin and the Beatles as his disciples.  His biggest hit, 1961’s “Watch Your Step,” was covered by Santana, Manfred Mann and the Spencer Davis Group, while its primary lick was borrowed by the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, the Allman Brothers, Deep Purple and countless more. John Lennon called “Watch Your Step” one of his favorite records of all time.  Born in Louisiana but raised in Los Angeles, California, Parker picked up the guitar at a young age.  During his early professional years, he played for the likes of Bo Diddley, Sam Cooke, Jackie Wilson, and the Everly Brothers.  He later toured with Check Berry and Little Richard among others. He settled in Washington, DC during the ’60s and continued to record and perform over the next four decades.  Bobby Parker was 76 when he passed away on November 1, 2013.  Cause of death was not immediately released.

Thanks to Harold Lepidus at Bob Dylan Examiner for the assist.

Died On This Date (August 21, 2013) Sid Bernstein / Legendary Concert Promoter; Brought The British Invasion To America

Sid Bernstein
August 12, 1918 – August 21, 2013

sid-bernsteinSid Bernstein was a concert promoter who was largely responsible for the onset of the British Invasion by setting up the first US concerts by England’s biggest rock bands at the time.  In 1964, Bernstein felt the excitement building for the Beatles so he contacted their manager Brian Epstein, and convinced him to let him promote two shows at Carnegie Hall after their first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. The demand for tickets was so huge, that he arranged their legendary Shea Stadium concert the following year.  By doing so, he became the first promoter to ever set up a rock concert in a sports stadium.  Bernstein went on to organize the first five Rolling Stones shows in America.  He also brought fellow British Invasion groups, Herman’s Hermits, the Moody Blues, and the Kinks over for their first US shows.   The list of others Bernstein organized early major early concerts for include Judy Garland, Tony Bennett, Ray CharlesFrank Sinatra, and James Brown who once credited Bernstein for being the only significant promoter to work with Black acts during the ’60s.  Sid Bernstein was 95 when he passed away on August 21, 2013.



 

Died On This Date (March 6, 2013) Alvin Lee / Ten Years After

Alvin Lee (Born Graham Barnes)
December 19, 1944 – March 6, 2013

alvin-lee-1
Photo by David Plastik – Click To Order Quality Prints – Discount code: 10OFF

Alvin Lee was an English rock musician who is best remembered as founder and lead singer of the influential blues rock band, Ten Years After.  Considered one of rock’s greatest guitarists, Lee began playing at age 13.  In 1962, he formed his first band, the Jaybirds, who haunted the same Hamburg clubs that had recently hosted the pre-fame Beatles.  By the late ’60s, the Jaybirds morphed into Ten Years After who quickly built a sizable following throughout Europe and scored a record deal with Deram Records.  Finding their way to the San Francisco airwaves, songs from their self-titled debut caught the ear of Bill Graham who invited them to tour the US in 1968.  The following year, they played the Woodstock Festival and appeared in the iconic film documentary of the event.  Soon, the band found themselves playing arenas and stadiums all over the world, and Lee’s remarkable talent as a guitarist could not be denied.  After recording 10 albums with the group, Lee decided to move on in 1974.  What followed were a series of solo albums and collaborations with the likes of George Harrison, Mylon LFevre, Bo Diddley, and Jerry Lee Lewis.  He reunited with Ten Years After for a couple of albums and tours during the late ’70s.  Lee continued recording and touring until the release of his final album, 2012’s Still On The Road To Freedom.  Alvin Lee died unexpectedly on March 6, 2013.   According to a post on his website, he “unexpectedly passed away early this morning after unforseen complications following a routine surgical procedure.”  He was 68.

Thanks to David Plastik of eRockPhotos for the assist.

Own A Piece Of Rock ‘N Roll History

Photo by David Plastik - Click To Order Quality Prints - Discount code: 10OFF
Photo by David Plastik – Click To Order Quality Prints – Discount code: 10OFF

What You Should Own

Click to find at amazon.com
Click to find at amazon.com



Died On This Date (February 16, 2013) Tony Sheridan / Early Beatles Collaborator

Tony Sheridan (Born Anthony McGinnity)
May 21, 1940 – February 16, 2013

tony-sheridanTony Sheridan was an early English rock and roll singer, guitarist and songwriter who is most often recognized for his work with the pre-fame Beatles.  He holds the honor of being only one of two non-Beatles to ever be credited on one of the groups recordings – the other being Billy Preston.  Sheridan is also the only non-Beatle to sing lead on a single with them that charted (“My Bonnie”). Sheridan took an early liking to music, and at age seven, already knew how to play the violin.  He soon switched to the guitar, and by the time he was 16, he was fronting his own band.  Within a few years, he was either backing or sharing the stage with American musicians while they toured through the UK.  That list includes Gene Vincent, Conway Twitty, and Eddie Cochran.  During the early ’60s, Sheridan was recording in Hamburg and generally hired pick-up bands to back him on stage.  In 1961, thanks to a mutual admiration, he hired the Beatles, who at the time, were made up of Paul McCartney, George Harrison, John Lennon and Pete Best.  Polydor producer, Bert Kaempfert, caught their act and convinced Sheridan to record with them.  The songs recorded during those 1961 sessions included, most famously, “My Bonnie,”  “The Saints,” “Cry For A Shadow,” and “Ain’t She Sweet.”  The latter two were utilized by the Beatles.  The 1st US pressing of “My Bonnie”/”The Saints” is one of the most collectible 45’s out there with a mint copy fetching $15,000 back in 2007.  During the mid-’60s, Sheridan moved his style to a more jazz and blues sound but unfortunately, most of his fans didn’t go along for the ride.  Although his record sales dwindled, he still remained a popular live act for many years.  In 1967, Sheridan went over the Vietnam to perform for the American troops.  During one such trip, he and his band were fired upon, killing one musician and leading to false reports that Sheridan himself, was killed. For his efforts during the war, the US Army made Sheridan an honorary Captain.  He continued to perform and record until heart surgery forced him into retirement in 2012. Tony Sheridan was 72 when he passed away on February 16, 2013.

Thanks to Brett Ortone at Go Aloha Entertainment for the assist.

What You Should Own

Click to find at amazon.com
Click to find at amazon.com