Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry and Little Richard paved the way for early rock and roll, but the Everly Brothers brought twice the standout voices in one act, becoming the most successful rock duo for years until Hall and Oates succeeded them.
They hit No. 1 on the charts with โWake Up Little Susie,โ โAll I Have to do is Dreamโ and โCathyโs Clown,โ while knocking on the door at number two with โBye Bye Love,โ โBird Dogโ and โProblems.โ
They stuck around for years, switching to country, reuniting in the โ80s and still singing into the new millennium.
Lightning Express founder Jon Wink, who takes on the Phil Everly voice, discovered the Everlysโ songs through his parentsโ music collection and loved those and the early Beatles hits, taking his love of the genre to the stage, where he met Jesse McNamara, playing for a 1950s-60s tribute group and found his Don Everly counterpart.
While Europe has a huge Everly Brothers following and numerous tributes, there are few in the U.S., inspiring Wink to change that, putting together Lightning Express, also the title of an Everly song, right before the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
โWe loved the Everlys and it sounded good instantly,โ said Wink. โIt was a passion project and I wasnโt sure if there was an audience since this was a little unusual.โ
What he found was people thought they didnโt know the songs and ended up singing along to them as they were classics, just not especially knowing who sang them or identifying with cover versions from other artists.
The key to a successful Everly Brothers tribute is the harmonies. Since many of the songs are short, the show has plenty, around 35, and also shares the stories behind many of them.
โWeโre not impersonators. We have the guitars and costuming, but weโre not trying to be them,โ Wink said. โAnybody who loves a country rock harmony will like this music.โ
The band is rounded out by Ron Brzoska, Dan Hange and Dick Day.
This is Lightning Expressโs Springfield debut, a community Wink has connections to as his wife and son are Wittenberg University graduates and was a frequent visitor.
โIโve been wanting to play here, Iโm a big fan of Springfield,โ he said. โThereโs been a lot of changes downtown and thereโs something great about seeing it return to its former glory.
โThe audience can expect a fun show that any age can have a good time with.โ
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Tickets cost $12. To purchase tickets or for more information, go to springfieldstatetheater.com.
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