Columnist Joe Delaney: Everly Brothers remain a musical institution

Joe Delaney

Friday, July 27, 2001 | 9:27 a.m.

Joe Delaney's column appears on Thursdays and Fridays. Reach him at 259-4066 or joe@lasvegassun.com

As recording artists, Don and Phil, the Everly Brothers, appearing at the Orleans this weekend, are one of the most important and influential vocal duos in rock 'n' roll history ... They influenced the Beatles and most of the other groups in the British invasion of the 1960s ... You can hear their sound in the recordings of Simon and Garfunkel and many solo artists since.

The late guitar great Chet Atkins once said, "The Everly Brothers changed music for the whole world" ... Bob Dylan added: "The Everly Brothers started it all." Their dad, Ike Everly, was considered one of the best country music guitarists of his time ... Atkins was a good friend and responsible for the Everly family moving to Nashville.

Ike called Atkins in Nashville and sent him a song written by Don, "Thou Shalt Not Steal," which became a hit for Kitty Wells ... Ike worked as a barber and their mother, Margaret, as a beautician, so Don and Phil, who had performed with their parents since early childhood, made the rounds of the music publishers ... Acceptance was slow in coming.

Finally the brothers landed a contract with Archie Bleyer's Cadence label and had a string of hits, combining the Nashville style with nicely understated teen themes: "Wake Up, Little Susie," "All I Have to Do is Dream," "Cathy's Clown" and "Bird Dog."

Songwriters Felice and Boudleaux Bryant gave the Everlys a song that had been turned down by 30 artists, "Bye, Bye, Love," an instant hit, topping both the pop and country charts, still a signature song ... Hits such as these made the Everly Brothers one of the original inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

This firmly established the Everly style -- warm harmonies over a country rock beat with an occasional added touch of Bo Diddley ... Don and Phil went their separate ways in the mid '80s, then decided in the '90s that they were better together than apart.

Highly respected and often imitated by their peers, the Everlys are an American musical institution ... Their unique blend of pop, rock and country has a timeless quality ... If you have some juice at the Orleans, ask the Everlys to sing "Blues Stay Away from Me." A classic, it has never been sung better.

Weekend wrap-up

Congratulations, Siegfried & Roy, on the duo's 5,000th live performance at the Mirage Monday, ranking them right there with Wayne Newton for total hours spent onstage in Las Vegas ... Las Vegas is fortunate that both Siegfried & Roy and Newton are still going strong today ... Congrats, as well, to Melinda, First Lady of Magic, at the Venetian, who celebrated her first anniversary there on Thursday.

Britain's Jane Alexander came close to filling the 1,700-seat MGM Grand's "EFX" Theater for her "Star for a Night" videotaped special for BBC and intended for worldwide distribution ... Alexander is Britain's newest star with her own Saturday night television show ... Harrah's Clint Holmes was her special guest, doing a solo turn and later joining Alexander in a duet.

While here, Alexander caught Jimmy Hopper at Bellagio's Fontana Room and was very impressed ... Also at Bellagio, at Petrossian Bar, enjoy the piano artistry of Ariel.

Good news: Marv Koral's All Stars, featuring Carl Fontana, will be playing at the Jazzed Cafe, on West Sahara Avenue at Durango Drive, on Wednesday, Aug. 15, 29 and Sept. 5, 14 and 22 ... Friday night's jazz is at Pogo's with Irv Kluger & Co., and Mondays should be spent with Don Menza and guests at the Riviera ... See you next Thursday.