- T. Ballard Lesemann
- Charlie Louvin at the Pour House, 2009
In the fall of 2009, the City Paper had the pleasure of interviewing and covering Alabama-born/Tennessee-based singer Charlie Louvin and covering performance at the Pour House. He was 82 at the time.
A country music Hall of Famer and four-time Grammy nominee, Louvin was best known for his harmonies in old-school gospel act the Louvin Brothers. After a lengthy hiatus following the passing of his brother Ira, Louvin began writing and recording again in recent years.
- provided
- Charlie Louvin
His most recent albums included Ships to Heaven, Sings Murder Ballads and Disaster Songs (featuring some deep Louvin Brothers classics), and last year’s The Battles Rage On, a collection of country songs paying “tribute to the thousands of men and women in service.”
Louvin provided a raspy but cheerful audio introduction to last month’s 12th Annual Southern Music Issue published by The Oxford American. Sadly, Louvin died on Jan. 26 at his home in Wartrace, Tenn., after battling pancreatic cancer. He was 83. Go to charlielouvin.net for more info.
Here’s an excerpt from our conversation with Louvin in 2009:
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