Don Everly death: Half of the iconic country rock duo The Everly Brothers dies aged 84

Singer confirmed to have died at his home in Nashville on Saturday 21 August

The Everly Brothers circa 1960 (Getty)

Don Everly, of rock’n’roll duo The Everly Brothers, has died aged 84.

A spokesperson for the singer’s family confirmed his death to the Los Angeles Times, stating that he had died at his home in Nashville on Saturday (21 August).

The family’s statement read: “Don lived by what he felt in his heart. Don expressed his appreciation for the ability to live his dreams … with his soulmate and wife, Adela, and sharing the music that made him an Everly Brother.”

A cause of death has not been disclosed.

Everly – whose real name was Isaac Donald Everly – was the surviving member of the duo, his younger brother and bandmate Phil having died of pulmonary disease in January 2014 aged 74.

As reported by the LA Times, the brothers were among the first group to be inaugurated into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1986, alongside Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard and Buddy Holly.

Everly was born in 1937 in Kentucky. He and his brother were raised in a musical family and began writing music in the mid-1950s.

The Everly Brothers released their self-titled debut in 1957 and went on to sign with Warner Bros Records in 1960.

Don Everly in October 2019 (AFF-USA/Shutterstock)

The duo’s hits include 1958’s “Bye Bye Love” and “All I have to Do Is Dream”, as well as “Cathy’s Clown” in 1960.

The pair released 21 studio albums, as well as multiple live and compilation albums, before splitting up during a disastrous performance at Knott’s Berry Farm in California in 1973.

Don released numerous solo records including Sunset Towers in 1974 and Brother Jukebox in 1976. Phil also released his own solo albums.

In 1983, the brothers reunited for a concert in London and a comeback album titled EB84.

The record featured a song written by Paul McCartney, called “On the Wings of a Nightingale”.

The Beatles have been vocal about the influence that The Everly Brothers had on their own music.

The LA Times reports that McCartney once said of his musical partnership with John Lennon: “When John and I first started to write songs, I was Phil and he was Don.”

Don Everly is survived by his mother, Margaret; his wife, Adela; his son, Edan; and his daughters Venetia, Stacy and Erin.