Phil Everly, one half of the brother vocal duo whose sibling harmonies sweetened 1960s rock music, has died, the Los Angeles Times is reporting, quoting his wife, Patti Everly. He was 74.

He died Friday in Burbank of complications from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, after a lifetime of smoking, his wife said.

The Everly Brothers, Phil and Don, whose tight harmonies were unmistakable and unforgettable, profoundly influenced everyone from the Beatles to the Beach Boys to the Byrds, as well as countless other rock, folk and country singers.

A generation of teens grew up with their clarion voices blasting from car radios on Wake Up Little Susie, Bye Bye Love, Cathy's Clown and All I Have To Do Is Dream.

Singer Linda Ronstadt, who had a big hit in 1975 with When Will I Be Loved, which Phil wrote, and who herself grew up in Tucson singing with her siblings, told The Times there's nothing like vocals produced by family.

"The information of your DNA is carried in your voice, and you can get a sound (with family) that you never get with someone who's not blood-related to you," she told The Times. "And they were both such good singers — they were one of the foundations, one of the cornerstones of the new rock 'n' roll sound."

The duo was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986.

In addition to his wife, Everly is survived by his brother, who will be 77 in February, their mother, Margaret, sons Jason and Chris, and two granddaughters. Funeral services will be private.