Charlie Louvin, a legend in American country music, died of complications from pancreatic cancer on Wednesday, January 26, 2011. He was 83. Although Louvin may not be a household name to those who came to appreciate American country music sometime after the 1960s, what he and his brother Ira contributed to the genre as the Louvin Brothers, an act that peaked during the 1950s, cannot be underestimated.
Popularizers of what is known as close harmony, the Louvin Brothers recorded country ballads and gospel songs that typified the high, lonesome sound of country music, a sound that has become an integral contributor to the soundtrack of America. It's also a sound that has influenced scores of other musicians, especially country artists.
The Louvins' Songs are Frequently Revisited
Country singer Emmylou Harris first broke through in 1975 with a remake of the Louvin Brothers' "If I Could Only Win Your Love". In 1968 the Byrds' country rock album Sweetheart of the Rodeo featured the Louvin Brothers tune "The Christian Life". Uncle Tupelo, an alternative country band, in 1992 recorded their song "Great Atomic Power",which made references to the Cold War.
Winning the Grammy Award for best country album in 2004 was Livin’, Lovin’, Losin’: Songs of the Louvin Brothers, a tribute album that featured Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Dolly Parton and many other artists singing the Louvins' songs. The win was a remarkable indicator of longevity for a musical act that saw its heyday 50 years earlier.
A Career Interrupted by Uncle Sam
The Louvin Brothers - actually the Loudermilk brothers until they decided to change their stage name during World War II - originally hailed from Alabama's Appalachian region, and perhaps would've hit it big as an act earlier than they did had their careers not been interrupted by Charlie's joining the Army in the early 1940s, and then being recalled for another tour of duty during the Korean War.
After establishing a reputation as gospel artists, they joined the Grand Ole Opry during the 1950s and began making a mark with secular music. Their tune "I Don't Believe You've Met My Baby" made it to the top of the country charts in 1956. Their last hit single, "Must You Throw Dirt in My Face",was released in 1962.
The duo disbanded in 1963. The advent of rock 'n' roll did them no favors, and Ira's struggles with alcoholism were a contributing factor to the act's demise as well. In 1965 Ira was killed in a vehicular crash with a drunk driver, ironically when a warrant was out for Ira's arrest for DUI.
Charlie Louvin, meanwhile, went on to have a successful solo career throughout the 1960s, and became a fixture on the Grand Ole Opry for many years after that.
Internet Fame for an Unusual Album Cover
In recent years, the Louvin Brothers achieved a modicum of Internet fame when the cover of their 1960 gospel album Satan is Real was featured on several websites highlighting the worst album covers in history. The cover features the brothers appearing to sing as they stand in front of a pile of burning tires and a towering plywood cutout of the devil.
It's an odd image, to be sure, but the music contained on the album is classic Louvin Brothers material - traditionally styled roots music that continues to influence country artists to this day.
