New Knoxville, Tenn., Park Named for the Everly Brothers

The city of Knoxville, Tenn., is honoring the Everly Brothers, who got their start in the music business while living in the city in the 1950s, by naming a new park after them.

The city council voted to pay tribute to the classic country duo by naming a small piece of property in the Bearden area of West Knoxville after the brothers. The State of Tennessee acquired the land during the reconstruction of a nearby bridge and, last year, gave ownership of the parcel to the city.

“Knoxville is proud to be the city that nurtured the Everly Brothers, and this commemorative park will be a great addition to the neighborhood,” Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero says in a press release. “Thanks to the state for donating the land, and thanks to the Bearden Council and City Councilman Duane Grieve for leading this effort.”

The Bearden Council, which is made up of local neighborhood and business representatives, is heading up the efforts to raise funds for the development of the park, which they hope will include benches, bike racks, an artistic centerpiece and memorial plaques with biographical information.

“Bearden Council considers it a privilege to pay tribute to one of the most influential and successful duos in musical history,” council member Dennis Owen says. “Everly Brothers Park is a public-private initiative that celebrates local history and encourages the community to learn about the formative years of rock ‘n’ roll."

Don and Phil Everly moved to Knoxville in 1953, where they performed on the Cas Walker Show and caught the attention of Chet Atkins, a family friend and the studio manager of RCA Victor in Nashville. After officially becoming a duo, the brothers moved to Music City in 1955.

A park dedication ceremony is scheduled for Aug. 7, at 5:30PM ET at the park, which is located at the corner of Kingston Pike and Forest Park Boulevard.

“This park will be a real jewel for the Bearden Village area," Councilman Grieve says. "It is a great collaborative effort between the neighborhoods, the state, the City’s Parks and Recreation Department, Visit Knoxville and other partners.”