From the AP, sad news from Wartrace, TN: Charlie Louvin passed away.
Louvin and his brother Ira, as the Louvin Brothers, were country music icons. More importantly for me, the Louvin Brothers had a heavy influence on later y'alternative icons like Gram Parsons and Uncle Tupelo.
My first exposure to the Louvin Brothers was via Parsons' album Grievous Angel, though I didn't know it at the time; Parsons covered the Louvins' "Cash on the Barrelhead," masking it as a faux-live performance. I loved it but didn't pay attention to the songwriting credits, not that I had heard of the Louvin Brothers at the time.
They finally came to my attention on the amazing March 16-20, 1992 album from Uncle Tupelo; the band covered the Louvins standard "Atomic Power." Uncle Tupelo was a terrific proponent of its artistic forebears, and I'll always be grateful for the extensive liner notes on the long-delayed rerelease.
The Louvins harmonized beautifully, and Ira, whom Charlie credited as the main songwriter of the duo, had a knack for good lyrics.
I can recommend When I Stop Dreaming: The Best of the Louvin Brothers.
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