Phil Everly, one half of the pioneering Everly Brothers harmony duo that sparked the imaginations of rock ‘n’ roll singers for decades, has died. He was 74. His son Jason Everly says his father died Friday at a Burbank hospital of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

In the late 1950s and 1960s, Everly and his brother Don molded rock ‘n’ roll with their high harmony while their poignant lyrics captured the restlessness and energy of a generation of young people. Their hit records included the then-titillating “Wake Up Little Susie” and the universally identifiable “Bye Bye Love.”

Their parents, Ike and Margaret Everly along with the boys, had a show on KMA radio and KFNF in Shenandoah in the 1940s.  Singing on the show gave the brothers their first exposure to the music industry. The family sang together and lived and traveled in the area singing as the Everly Family. The Everly Brothers grew up from ages 5 and 7 through early high school in Shenandoah.

In all, their career spanned five decades, although they performed separately from 1973 to 1983. In their heyday between 1957 and 1962, they had 19 top 40 hits.