DON & PHIL EVERLY—A SHORT HISTORY

Don and Phil Everly made their first debut on February 1, 1937 and January 19, 1939 respectively as children born to Ike and Margaret Everly. Don, born in the mining town of Brownie, (located in northern Muhlenberg County) and Phil’s arrival two years later in Chicago Illinois in years to come added greatly to the genre known as rock ‘n roll.

The Ike Everly family left Muhlenberg County as mining ceased to exit and moved to Chicago where Ike could follow his career and help make ends meet. Shortly after Phil’s birth the family moved to Shenandoah, Iowa where Ike and Margaret along with Don and Phil performed on Midwest radio stations.

Because Ike’s love of the south and the appeal of a larger audience, the Everly family moved to Knoxville, Tennessee in 1953. They performed two shows daily on a radio station making $90 a week. During this time Don and Phil had a great desire to become skilled on the guitar and were always asking those around to teach them new chords. It was also during this time that their contract was cancelled in Knoxville thus causing Ike and Margaret to return to Illinois in order to make a living—Ike as a barber and Margaret a beautician. Don and Phil end up living in Nashville. Doors soon opened for the Everly Brothers as they met Archie Bleyer (via Chet Atkins) who signed them to Cadence Records in 1957 and the rest is history.

Don and Phil never forgot where they came from and as a result returned to Central City, Kentucky on Labor Day weekend for fourteen years to host the Everly Brothers Music Festival. Their coming brought great entertainers and to top the evening’s performance, everyone enjoyed the Everly’s musial renditions that made them so famous. Today a community college stands in Central City and a perpetual scholarship exits for local students to pursue their education. Muhlenbergers love Don and Phil and appreciate their generosity and dedication to give back to their community. Don and Phil Everly will be forever remembered as rock ‘n roll’s greatest performers.