The Everly Brothers - “Cathy’s Clown”
One of the more over-looked early rock and roll influences, the Everly Brothers’ tight harmonies influenced many of the great acts of the 1960s, including Simon and Garfunkel, the Beach Boys, and the Beatles. The Everly Brothers had 26 Billboard Top 40 singles and were among the first Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees.
I would also argue that with hits like “Bye, Bye Love”, “Since You Broke My Heart”, “When Will I be Loved,” and “Cathy’s Clown”, the Everly Brothers had a profound influence on some of today’s music. Perhaps it could even be said that the Everly Brothers are the original emo kid.
Regardless, they are one of the greatest duos of all time and some of the founding fathers of rock and roll, and for that we thank them.
January 2009
3 posts
20. Joe the Plumber
Charges: The Che Guevara of bald, pissed off white men. In a lot of ways, Samuel Wurzelbacher really does represent the average American—basing economic opinions on unrealistic expectations of personal future success, blaming his failure to meet those expectations on minorities and old people, complaining about deadbeats getting his taxes when he isn’t actually paying his taxes, and advertising his own rudimentary historical and mathematical ignorance by warning of creeping socialism in a country whose highest income tax rate has dropped by half in thirty years. “Joe” indeed symbolizes the true American dream—to become undeservedly rich and famous through a dizzyingly improbable stroke of luck. As American folk heroes go, Wurzelbacher ranks somewhere between Hulk Hogan and Bernie Goetz.
Exhibit A: “Social Security is a joke…social security I’ve never believed in, don’t like it. I hate that it’s forced on me.”
Sentence: After blowing his fifteen minutes and all his money on coke and Thai hookers, an infirm, elderly Joe finds that social security actually is a joke, and is finally forced to snake toilets for a living.
” —http://www.buffalobeast.com/134/50mostloathsome2008-full.html