FUSE TV - Rock Pioneer Phil Everly Dies

Phil Everly, half of venerated rock-forerunner duo the Everly Brothers, passed away yesterday at the age of 74.

Everly's wife, Patti, told the Los Angeles Times that the famed musician suffered from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which ultimately took his life.

“We are absolutely heartbroken,” she said. “He fought long and hard."

The Everly Brothers helped shape modern day rock, country and folk with their nearly three-dozen Billboard Hot 100 hits, which were marked by pitch-perfect harmonies, infectious melodies and a touch of country twang.

Among the most iconic and lasting Everly songs are "Bye Bye Love," "Cathy's Clown," "All I Have to Do Is Dream" and "Wake Up Little Susie."

The duo was part of the inaugural class inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1986.

And although the Everly's hit their musical stride in the late 1950s and early 1960s, they have remained a formative influence on countless musicians ever since.

Just this past November, Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong and folk songstress Norah Jones released the collaborative effort Foreverly—a collection of songs inspired by the Brothers' 1958 LP Songs Our Daddy Taught Us.

In an interview Armstrong explained his inspiration for the record:

"I got into the Everly Brothers’ record a couple years ago and I thought it was just beautiful. I thought it would be cool to remake the record because it was sort of an obscure thing and more people should know about it."