Like many from my generation, (I’m guessing) I first learned of the Louvin Brothers after hearing Uncle Tupelo’s cover of “Atomic Power.†It was a great song that immediately caught my attention and made me want to hear the original. So, I tracked it down and found out it was an old-timey tune from the 50’s with mandolin and haunting tenor. Fast forward some 50 years after the Louvin’s recorded that song, and what you have is brother Charlie out on tour with a crackerjack Nashvillesqe band featuring his oldest son on acoustic guitar. He may have lost a bit of the strong vocal power he once had, but he can still croon with the best of em’ and is as lively as ever. On this particular night he was cracking jokes between songs, telling stories about different songwriters, and at one point telling his band, “I’ll start singing as soon as you boys figure it out.†The set featured a ton of dark tunes, but looking around at the crowd of 50 or so, everyone was smiling and having a blast. I’ll admit I only knew a handful of the songs, such as “Cash on the Barrelhead,†but I will say that I thoroughly enjoyed the show and am honored to have been in the presence of a country music legend such as Charlie Louvin. After the show I patted him on the back and said, “I had a great time,†to which Louvin responded with a laugh, “You must can’t hear very well son.†I hope that when I’m 82 years old, I’ve got as much spunk and energy left in me.
About the author: Producer, Engineer, Musician and all around music enthusiast.