Recommendations of the Editorial team
There are many metaphors to describe a rock band and its members: they are an artistic collective, a corporation, a street gang. But one of the most consistent is: A rock group is a family. And so it’s no coincidence that rock ‘n’ roll has numerous musicians who are actually related by blood. It can be hard to swallow orders from your brother, even if he’s a genius – that’s why the most argumentative rock bands are those with two brothers at odds. As the famous rock critic Leo Tolstoy observed: “All happy families are alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.”
The Everly Brothers: Don Everly vs. Phil Everly
With their intertwining country harmonies, neither brother could sound closer to one another. But as their careers faded in the ’60s, the tension between Don and Phil Everly grew steadily.
Of course, it didn’t help that they both became addicted to amphetamines. The Everly Brothers finally broke up during a 1973 concert at Knott’s Berry Farm theme park in Buena Park, California. Phil destroyed his guitar and stormed off the stage; Don told the stunned crowd that the duo had broken up and finished the show alone.
In the next ten years, the two brothers spoke to each other only once – at their father’s funeral. (Phil died in January 2014.)
The Kinks: Ray Davies vs. Dave Davies
The battles between Dave Davies (founder and lead guitarist of the Kinks) and Ray Davies (main singer and songwriter) are legendary: on stage, backstage, in the studio, in the back seats of cars. Ray throws at Dave Curry to emphasize a point. Dave gets into a heated argument with Ray and ends up with a black eye when he reprimands the drummer for not taking his side.
“Nothing good ever happened without some kind of struggle,” Dave said. “As the years went by, the conflicts became bigger, the battles more brutal, the mind games more intense, stranger, and the low points much deeper.” Whether the two can put their differences aside for a reunion tour has been the subject of dozens of news stories in recent years.
The Bee Gees: Barry Gibb vs. Robin Gibb
The Bee Gees were one of the longest-running family bands of all, with a career that spanned 1958 to 2003. “Robin was very competitive with me,” said frontman (and eldest brother) Barry. In the group’s early years, the two competed for the role of lead singer.
When Barry won this battle, Robin left the group for a solo career. He eventually released six solo albums before his death in 2012, but found his greatest success as a backup singer behind Barry. What brought the brothers back together after years of estrangement: the death of Maurice Gibb (Robin’s twin brother). “When we lost Mau, Robin and I became a little closer,” Barry said.
Creedence Clearwater Revival: John Fogerty vs. Tom Fogerty
Tom Fogerty was the band’s original lead singer. But when it was called Creedence Clearwater Revival, his younger brother John was the sole singer and songwriter. The fact that John was far more talented than Tom didn’t stop the demotion from hurting.
“It’s an unnatural situation when your younger brother leads the group you’re in,” Tom said. In an angry letter to John, he wrote: “You never acknowledged me (or Doug or Stu) in public.” The bitterness only grew after Tom left the band – decades later, friends had to beg John to visit Tom’s deathbed.
The Allman Brothers Band: Duane Allman vs. Gregg Allman
For decades, Gregg Allman played in the Allman Brothers Band as the only Allman brother: his older brother Duane died in a motorcycle accident in 1971. But while both were still alive, Duane never let his younger brother forget who was in charge.
As kids with a lemonade stand, he let Gregg do the work; When Gregg was about to be drafted, Duane convinced him to put a bullet in his foot. And when Gregg was hesitant about starting a band with him, Duane knew how to tempt him: “You can leave here crying,” Duane told him. “If you don’t try, don’t call yourself my brother.”
The Jackson 5: Jermaine Jackson vs. Michael Jackson
Jermaine Jackson always felt that the superstar status that his younger brother Michael achieved could and should have been his. The highlight of this grudge: Jermaine’s single “Word to the Badd!!” from 1991, in which he attacked Michael for his numerous cosmetic surgeries.
“Michael and I have never fought,” Jermaine claimed. “The only reason I wrote this song – and it came from the bottom of my heart – was to help my little brother get back to reality.” Michael, in turn, is said to have sabotaged Jermaine’s solo career. According to record executive Clive Davis, Michael intentionally kept producer Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds so busy that he could not produce a Jermaine album.
