Phil Everly

Terence McArdle of the Washington Post did a great article on the Everly Brothers on the occasion of Phil Everly’s recent death. Particularly notable was his nod to their great, but little-heard, Born Yesterday album from 1985.

When I first heard about Phil’s death, though, one of the first things that came to mind was a much older article in the Post. Back in March of 2000, David Segal got in touch with all of the presidential candidates to ask them about their favorite music – songs, albums, concerts, etc. (A version of the article is available online in the Post's archives, but you’ll need to pay for access.)

I was most impressed by the answer of one candidate, who listed his favorite artists as Van Morrison, the Everly Brothers, and the Neville Brothers. The selection seemed free of any political calculation and included some personal favorites of mine. (Both Van Morrison and the Nevilles show up on my Favorite 100 Songs list.)

So, had I been deciding on the basis of music, George W. Bush would definitely have gotten my vote in November of 2000. The inclusion of the Neville Brothers wound up being especially ironic, given the impact that Hurricane Katrina had on the family several years later.