Crying in the Rain, Mark Ribowsky
Crying in the Rain, Mark Ribowsky
List: $19.99 | Sale: $13.99
Club: $9.99

Crying in the Rain
The Perfect Harmony and Imperfect Lives of the Everly Brothers

Author: Mark Ribowsky

Narrator: Steve Menasche

Unabridged: 10 hr 39 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 04/02/2024


Synopsis

The Everly Brothers—aka Don and Phil to fans with an intimate appreciation for them—seemed to exist almost as an apparition. Emerging within the formative era for young Baby Boomers during the blandly regimented '50s, they were a ubiquitous presence, clad in snug suits and skinny ties, hair neatly Brylcreemed, never raising their voices when they sang. The two prim-looking country boys with dark, curiously penetrating eyes and perfectly merged, honey-dipped harmonies, were oddly but comfortably settled as sentimental, soothing, sometimes lovelorn voices of a still-uncharted cultural turf.

Magnificent as the duo was, they have until now never received a definitive biography. In Crying in the Rain: The Perfect Harmony and Imperfect Lives Of the Everly Brothers, the details, small and great, roll along on the mighty "Mississippi," in near novel-like fashion, revealing facts drawn from exhaustive research and first-hand interviews that trace the character and influences of these hardy but flawed men who grew from teenagers to old men before our eyes. Mark Ribowsky's authoritative book serves as a fitting companion to an unforgettable collection of songs—heard on countless albums, and covered literally thousands of times—whose recording was a long time gone but that will never be forgotten.

About Mark Ribowsky

Mark Ribowsky has authored over thirty-five acclaimed books about some of the most significant figures in popular culture, including Phil Spector, The Temptations, The Supremes, Stevie Wonder, Otis Redding, Lynyrd Skynyrd, James Taylor, Hank Williams, Little Richard, Isaac Hayes, Satchel Paige, Howard Cosell, Tom Landry, and Don Shula. His writing has appeared in Rolling Stone, Playboy, People, and High Times. He lives in Boca Raton, Florida.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Tricia on May 08, 2025

I was really hoping this book would be interesting, a splashy exposé on the dark underbelly of the seeming 1950s perfection of the Everly Brothers (because that’s what the subtitle implied*), but what I got was an exceedingly dull accounting of every song release and chart ranking in their entire ca......more

Goodreads review by Sheldon on May 04, 2024

Filtering Bo Diddley’s guitar riffs with a harmonic blend that was far-reaching--think early/mid-sixties Beatles, the Hollies, and the spare vocalizing of 60s folk singers and 70s duos like Messina----the Everly Brothers were the musical flip side to Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, Jerry Lee Lewis and Lit......more

Goodreads review by Reeca on April 23, 2024

My mother, being a 50s girl, introduced me to The Everly Brothers at a very young age. I have been a fan ever since! So, I jumped on the chance to read more about their smooth sound, unique harmony and their amazing career. I did learn quite a few pieces of information in this book. I did not know ab......more

Goodreads review by Candy on April 06, 2024

Long retrospective of the lives and career of the Everly Brothers. I certainly didn’t know what tormented and messed up private lives they led. It was fun reliving the stories of the great songs, but as they declined, I didn’t know their later ones. I wish this audio had snippets of their hits. This......more

Goodreads review by AL on April 14, 2024

Extremely insightful for those wanting a behind the scenes look at the brother’s personal and musical lives. I loved their backstory and hearing of their time in Chicago and Knoxville. I had no idea! Unfortunately, it is heartbreaking to grow up with this idealistic image of these two cute young men,......more