Charlie Louvin (Born Charles Loudermilk)
July 7, 1927 – January 26, 2011
Charlie Louvin was a longtime country singer and songwriter who became a national treasure singing alongside his brother Ira Louvin as the Louvin Brothers. From 1940 to 1963, the Louvin Brothers created a catalog of country and folk music that ushered in the use of close harmonies to the genres and would be a direct influence on the likes of the Byrds, the Everly Brothers, Emmylou Harris, Gram Parsons, Alison Krauss, and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. Starting out as a Gospel group, the Louvin Brothers soon began singing secular songs so they could reach a larger audience. That lead to appearances at the Grand Ole Opry and several charting singles. The duo disbanded in 1963 and then in 1965, Ira was tragically killed in a car accident, so Charlie forged on as a solo artist. In recent years, Louvin’s career experienced a renaissance thanks to recognition from the likes of Jeff Tweedy of Wilco, Elvis Costello, and Bright Eyes to name just a few. Outside of tributes, his songs have been recorded by Uncle Tupelo, Roy Orbison, Willie Nelson, Wanda Jackson, Tammy Wynette, Hank Williams Jr., Doc Watson, and many many more. In 2003, a Grammy winning tribute to the Louvin Brothers entitled Livin’, Lovin’, Losin’: Songs Of The Louvin Brothers was released. It included performances by Vince Gill, Dierks Bentley, Dolly Parton, Marty Stuart, and Merle Haggard, to name a few. Louvin continued to release critically acclaimed albums and enjoy the spotlight as recently as 2010. His final three, including 2010’s The Battle Rages On are considered three of his best. Charlie Louvin was 83 when he died as a result of pancreatic cancer on January 26, 2011.
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