So sad to hear that Don Everly – the elder of the two fabulous Everly Brothers – passed away. [Saturday 21 August 2021 Nashville, Tennesee, aged 84]
The excitement I felt when I first heard the amazing records they made in the 1950s when I was a kid has never faded away. The influence they had on me, especially with regard to HOW TO SING HARMONIES, has been massive – and is evident on lots of Queen records as well as my solo recordings. I loved these guys. I always hungrily absorbed both parts that they sang on every record – and of course I still can sing every word – every note. And I got into the habit of singing a third harmony part along with them. I wanted to be part of their group !
This is my adoring tribute to these two wonderful boys, now reunited in the Next Place. I hope you’re rockin’ up there, guys.
RIP Don Everly.
Brian May Tribute on passing of Don Everly
– https://youtu.be/LcYAyFSJh_U
Bye Bye Love – by the Everly Brothers
Folks ! This is what record players used to do !
Brian May plays ‘Bye Bye Love’ on old Collaro RC 456 deck
– https://youtu.be/DvEbOu3s21w
Feeling very sad tonight knowing that Don Everly is no longer in the world. I had to go and find the 45 of the Everly Brothers first huge hit – and also find the record player I used to play it on. You maybe guessed it – my Dad made this record player – housing a Collaro model RC-456 deck which he came home with one night under his arm. He hooked it up to the amplifier he made from Government Surplus scraps – which later became my first guitar amplifier.
A very clever friend of ours – Nigel Knight – kindly recently restored this treasure to its original working order – I bet there are not many of them still operational. This device is an AUTO-CHANGER. It will play up to TEN singles in a row – a kind of home Nike-box. This record is pure genius. There’s very few instruments on it but the recording sounds as crisp and dazzling as the day it first hit the record shops. I bought it in Waldren’s in Hounslow – a magical place filled with 45 and 78 rpm singles – and 33 rpm albums. And you could go in a little sound-proof booth and listen to any record of your choice to make sure you wanted to buy it ! Aaaah ! Those were the days !!! The Everly Brothers rocked the world.
Bri