Paul McCartney Hymns Phil Everly: “I Will Always Love Him.”
Beatle pays tribute to the inspiration of the Everly Brothers’ lonesome tenor: “I was Phil and [John] was Don.”
Paul McCartney has a posted a personal tribute to Phil Everly, who died at the weekend.
“Phil Everly was one of my great heroes,” wrote McCartney on his Facebook page. “With his brother Don, they were one of the major influences on the Beatles. When John and I first started to write songs, I was Phil and he was Don. Years later when I finally met Phil, I was completely star struck and at the same time extremely impressed by his humility and gentleness of soul. I will always love him for giving me some of the sweetest musical memories of my life.”
The Beatles were never slow to credit the Everly Brothers vocal harmonies as essential components of the Fabs’ nascent sound. “No Everly Brothers, no Beatles” is no wild claim, and other stalwarts of the ’60s rock revolution – including The Hollies, Simon & Garfunkel and CSN – are equally unimaginable without the interlocking voices of the Everlys’ pioneering hits.
Tune in for more Everlys tributes as they roll in.
READ MOJO’S PHIL EVERLY OBITUARY
WATCH THE EVERLY BROTHERS COVER THE BEATLES IN THIS AMAZING CLIP FROM 1970