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RIP Charlie Louvin

January 27, 2011

Yesterday we lost one of the greats in the history of country and pop music, Alabama-born Charlie Louvin (LOO vin), best known for being one of the Louvin Brothers with his brother Ira starting in the 1940s.

A good obituary, strangely enough in the UK’s Telegraph:

The brothers enjoyed most of their success in the 1950s, but their close harmony style defined duet singing for a generation, inspiring many later stars and, notably, the Everly Brothers – who initially styled themselves almost entirely on the Louvin Brothers’ “high lonesome” sound. Other acts who took inspiration from the Louvins include The Byrds, Emmylou Harris and Dwight Yoakam.

Charlie set out on a solo career in 1963 after years of problems with Ira’s drinking. (Ira died in a car crash in 1965.)

Charlie enjoyed mainstream success as a solo act, reaching No 4 in the US charts in 1964 with I Don’t Love You Any More and going on to have 30 hit singles in America over the next decade, including See The Big Man Cry and Less and Less. His star also rose as other acts exploited the Louvin Brothers’ legacy. The Byrds covered The Christian Life and Emmylou Harris had her first hit with If I Could Only Win Your Love.

Our condolences to the family and the friends of Charlie Louvin.

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