As a fan of an era gone by, there are a lot of embarrassing moments. Often times, we retro-lovers forget that not everyone is stuck in the middle of the 20th Century. We love clothes, music and celebrities that are sometimes considered “out-dated” and maybe even “old-fashioned” by today’s society.
Since I’ve come to love the mid century, I’ve had a lot of embarrassing moments: Attending a concert looking like I just escaped a production of Grease, going to a restaurant looking like I just walked out of an “I Love Lucy” re-run, and frequently forgetting that Buddy Holly has been dead for decades (therefore using the present tense to describe him) are just a few of the things I’ve embarrassed myself with.
But so far nothing has been so self-mortifying than my unrelenting crush on Don and Phil, better known as The Everly Brothers.
A few years ago, I wrote a post about my crush on them, which explains things pretty well. But the saga continues, and on no uncertain terms, despite the fact that both brothers are now in Rock N Roll Heaven with most of their contemporaries.
In my mind, Don and Phil are perpetually in their early 20’s, at the top of the charts and haven’t broken up yet, much less started their 1983 Reunion Tour.
I’ve found myself talking about them, assuming that everyone knows who they are. Just about everyone has heard of The Everly Brothers, but try mentioning Don and Phil by first name in casual conversation and you’ll run into plenty of folks who don’t know who you are talking about. After all, it was only five years ago that I didn’t even know their first names myself! (It also took me a few months after that to tell them apart, despite the fact that they aren’t twins nor do they look too terribly much alike.)
So usually, I stick to talking about the boys with my fellow fans, that way there’s no confusion. One time when I was still using Twitter (I am no longer using Twitter for a multitude of reasons) I tweeted about the dream I had that The Everly Brothers came to my house for dinner.
“But I didn’t talk to either of them.” I explained.
“Not even ‘pass the ketchup’?” someone joked. And the rest of the day, I got bombarded with “Dream… Dream… Dream…” tweets.
I didn’t mind, honestly. I thought it was funny. But this latest incident, I’m still a tad on the fence about…
Leave it to Don and Phil to get me in trouble on New Years Eve. Of course I say this light-heartedly, but sometimes I wish I could be a little less obsessed with them. Phil in particular seems to be my problem- how could anything that good looking ever have existed in this world? And I ask that in the most admirable and respectful manner. He and Don are on my lock screen, and I find myself staring at the same photos of Phil over and over, such as the one above my desk.
So, on New Years Eve I was about to go to bed after wishing my friends a Happy New Year (and, of course, after a few drinks) I really wanted to go to bed earlier, but ended up distracted by various apps online and zoning out of reality. And after the 2022 I had, zoning out of reality was much needed.
That’s when another epic photo was posted by the Phil Everly Tribute site @thefabulousphileverly on Instagram. The account posts all things Phil on a daily basis. It does a fantastic job honoring the miracle that was Phil Everly with photos, facts and quotes from his childhood right up to his death at the age of 74.
One thing you should never show me while I’m drunk is a picture of young Phil Everly. Even worse, a picture of young Phil Everly while he’s drunk. Don’t get me wrong, I greatly appreciated it, but maybe too much and I decided that it would be a good idea to repost it in my stories. Because what a coincidence! That’s exactly how I was feeling at that same moment!
So here’s what I ended up posting to my stories:
Well, I’m at least glad that the site owner appreciated my repost and even wished me a Happy New Year. Normally, I don’t repost content without asking first, but this was a certain… situation. Just after I posted, I looked up at the clock and was shocked to see it was 12:01 AM! I’d missed the countdown to 2023 because I was posting a photo of Phil Everly drunk at a New Year’s Party. That’s a good one. That’s definitely one for the books. How many people can say they did something that silly? Actually, I’m not sure I want to know the answer.
(Incidentally, the best thing about that photo is not Phil sprawled out on the floor, but the expression on his brother’s face. He looks amused, yet just a mite concerned. It’s priceless. And look which hand Don has his cigarette in!)
So okay, there’s that story. Embarrassing, yes, but it’s all part of being a fan. Maybe sometime I’ll write a post about the time my cat Chelsea and I re-enacted the famous photo of drunk Buddy Holly giving the finger in a photo booth. Ya know, the one with Waylon Jennings. I’ve been wanting to tell that one for years, but I was too embarrassed. But as the years roll on, and the past stays the same, I find myself saying what Doc Brown said to Marty: “Well, I figured… what the hell.”
Can’t get enough from Don and Phil? That’s what SHE said. Here are the pictures on my lock screen and the one above my desk, respectively.
Thank you for reading this post. I make no apologies. Stay tuned for more about the Everlys and my never-ending obsession with the 1950’s era.
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