Country Music Hall of Famer and Oldest Member of the Grand Ole Opry, Charlie Louvin Dies from Cancer
Charlie Louvin and his brother, Ira, formed the group Loudermilk which later became the Louvin Brothers. Charlie Louvin was the oldest member of the Grand Ole Opry at the time of his death. He was also a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame.
The Louvin Brothers first started performing in the 1940's. The Louvin Brothers played live on early morning radio shows and became well known for their gospel music, with their hit tune "The Family That Prays" boosting them to stardom.
In 1955 the group expanded their horizon and found themselves with a Top 10 hit titled, "When I Stop Dreaming." And guess who their opening act was in 1955? None other than Elvis Presley! Another loyal fan was Johnny Cash, who was just a teenager at the time.
The brothers disbanded the duo during the summer of 1963 with each deciding to go solo. Ira died in 1965 in a car accident in Missouri. He was hit by a drunk driver.
Charlie Louvin continued to perform and record music as a solo artist. During the 1960's Louvin recorded another Top 5 hit with "I Don't Love You Anymore." His music took a new swing in the late 1960's as others recognized good songs and wanted to record them. Emmylou Harris and The Byrds recorded "The Christian Life" on their 1968 album "Sweetheart of the Rodeo." Others took notice and this put Charlie Louvin back on stage opening for acts such as Cheap Trick and Cake.
Louvin released a new solo album self-titled "Charlie Louvin" in 2007 that was nominated for a Grammy award for best traditional folk album. Louvin produced several more hits and albums after this but his dream was to reunite with his brother and perform traditional country music. This, of course, never came to be.
Sources:
Karen Gros, "Country Music Hall of Famer and Oldest Member of the Grand Ole Opry, Charlie Louvin Dies from Cancer," Yahoo! Associated Content
Published by Karen Gros
Karen is a freelance writer covering LSU Sports, news, country music, celebrities, fashions and 'œtwin' topics. She has been a Top 1,000 badge earner at YCN since 2007, published nationally in ma... View profile
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5 Comments
Post a CommentSorory to hear that!
Charlie was one of a kind! He had one of the biggest hearts of anyone I have ever known! He would give you the shirt off his back, I have seen him do it! An amazing man with a wonderful life! We should all go out so fortunate as he! Rest in peace, dear friend!
Sad news.
Ole Charlie
I read this - how sad! But he left behind so much for people to remember him by