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The Louvin Brothers' influence still spreading across the world of popular musicBy Tim Eberhart Not many musicians are listed in the ENCYCLOPÆDIA BRITANNICA
online edition, or had Elvis Presley as their opening act. Few
have won a Grammy Award, sold over two million records, and influenced
singers and songwriters for three generations. Twenty-five years before the country music super group Alabama
started reeling off hit after hit, another big country act from
DeKalb County had a hit-making streak of its own. Brothers Ira
and Charlie Loudermilk known worldwide by their stage name
The Louvin Brothers became country music icons in another
era. The Louvin Brothers were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1979 (they wrote over 500 songs). They were inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in 1991. Before they were famous the Loudermilks played in their church and at country fairs while they were still teenagers. There first paying gig was playing background music for a merry-go-round at a fair in Flat Rock. They made more money in a day for that job ($3.00 each) than their father made farming in an entire week. So, it was easy for them to consider pursuing a future in music. Winning a talent contest in Chattanooga was also an important stage in their early career. As Gospel music performers early on, their two-part harmony and simple guitar/mandolin sounds thrilled radio audiences from the time they started out on an early morning radio show on a Chattanooga station. They later moved on to bigger radio shows at stations in Knoxville and Memphis. They adopted their stage name in the late forties and began to record singles first on Apollo Records, then Decca Records and in 1951 they recorded 12 songs for MGM Records. Charlie joined the Army around that time and The Louvin Brothers' career took a while to get going, partly because of interruptions from World war II and the Korean War. But finally, their major breakthrough came in 1955 and 1956 on Capitol Records. Their first major hit song, "When I Stop Dreaming," became a Top Ten hit in the fall of 1955. Then "I Don't Believe You've Met My Baby," spent two weeks at number one early in 1956. Three other Louvin songs "Hoping That You're Hoping," "You're Running Wild" and "Cash on the Barrel Head" reached the Top Ten that year. They also joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1955, and released two successful albums in 1956. Elvis opened for a show headlined by The Louvin Brothers in Memphis during this period of the brothers' success. Ironically, 1955 and 1956 were big years for rock and roll, as the newer, different music seemed to be taking over the airwaves. The Louvin Brothers produced several other charting pop and gospel hits through 1962, but thanks primarily to rock and roll's growing popularity they never had another year like 1956. Commercially, all of country music was hurt by rock and roll's challenge to win over America's taste in music. The Louvin Brothers were among the few traditional country performers to endure the changes, and their impact on music styles has never stopped spreading. Through the early 1960s the Louvin Brothers had over 20 entries on Billboard's country chart. For many years, the Louvins hosted the May on the Mountain Bluegrass Festival in Henagar. The Louvin Brothers Museum is located in Bell Buckle, Tennessee. Unfortunately, the Louvin Brothers story is not complete without tragedy. The duo disbanded in the summer of 1963 and each brother pursued solo careers. Ira Louvin was killed in an automobile accident in Williamsburg, Missouri in 1965. For four decades now Charlie has succeeded as a solo artist. His debut solo single "I Don't Love You Anymore" reaching number four in 1964. For the next decade, he racked up a total of 30 charting singles. He won a Grammy award for his duet with Melba Montgomery. The influence Ira and Charlie Louvin's sound has had across the music world is well documented, and it seems to be picking up steam still today. In 2003, Universal South Records released Livin', Lovin', Losin' - Songs of the Louvin Brothers. The project featured Louvin Brothers classics performed by stars of today's music world. "How's the World Treating You," a duet between Alison Krauss and James Taylor, was released as a single and won a Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals. Buddy Holly's first band's sound was initially based on his favorite country duos, The Louvin Brothers and Johnnie & Jack. Emmylou Harris' first hit, "If I Could Only Win Your Love," was composed by The Louvin Brothers. The Louvin's harmony certainly influenced the Everly Brothers, and the Everly Brothers' style in turn had a strong influence on the Beatles. The late Gram Parsons of The Byrds and The Flying Burrito Brothers fame was a big fan of the duo. He recorded some Louvin songs with his bands and as a solo artist. He liked their songs so much he once paid people to search Los Angeles record shops for used copies of their out-of-print albums. Dozens of other performers, including Dolly Parton, have covered the Louvins' songs. Today's various country music styles echo the sound of a strong Louvin influence. Some of the newest stars mention The Louvin Brother as influences. Mike Delevante of The Delevantes, for instance, has been quoted as saying he discovered the power of two-voice harmony and overlapping voices in college when the music instructor played The Louvin Brothers songs in class. Proving that their influence can do nothing but grow, recently, The Louvin Brothers, "When I Stop Dreaming," was number five on the list of recommended albums in an article titled "Albums Everyone Should Own," written by the Managing Editor of Music at Amazon.com For more information about the Louvin Brothers, read In Close Harmony by Charles K. Wolfe. |
