End of one very special era - Charlie Louvin has died.

[Guest]

Loved that man.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcMmC1EkxK8

[Lateralthinking1]

83, a good innings. What are your stand-out memories of Charlie, Paul?

[Paul Sherratt]

Well THE stand out was of the great man timing a song ( for that evening's performance ) ... on our settee.
Circumstances had come about where an all-time hero and someone who you could only imagine would ever be an image on an LP
sleeve was actually staying at our house ..

[Lateralthinking1]

That must have been fantastic for you. Play a lot of his music tonight.

[Paul Sherratt]

It was, Lat.
And I can always play quite a bit, owning every recording The Louvin Brothers ever released.
And Spotify has got a huge amount too ...

[johncorrigan]

Loved that man.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcMmC1EkxK8

Very sad Paul - my absolute favourite Louvin Bros track too - just magnificent harmony. What a joy that you got to meet Charlie - you walk in hallowed circles indeed - bet he was a right gentle guy - at least, that's what comes across from the music. AK used to regularly play the Louvins - I remember one show where he had just gone and treated himself to a box set and was in his complete element.

[johncorrigan]

Here's something about Charlie from the Guardian last January by the way.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2010/jan/24/charlie-louvin-emmylou-harris

[Paul Sherratt]

John,

Charlie was a real trooper - in contrast to the chap who was singing with him who I don't think had left his home state before ...
He released his latest album just last November ! And that collection is one of my indulgences too - I've got the box set so all I need now is
the desert island. Loads of Louvins on Spotty have you noticed ?

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

the tribute on NPR

http://www.npr.org/blogs/allsongs/2011/01/27/133250765/charlie-louvin-why-you-should-listen-to-the-country-music-hall-of-famer

[johncorrigan]

Here's Charlie's obit from Saturday's Grauny.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011/jan/28/charlie-louvin-obituary

[Paul Sherratt]

Thanks John.
Google tells me The Telegraph had one too. And that nice Gideon Coe played our favourite track ...

[Lateralthinking1]

I have had a few thoughts about Charlie Louvin since his death. Perhaps it doesn't do him justice to over-analyse. However, I feel a little dunce-like in terms of his career and would find it helpful to have some steers.

One, the Everly Brothers. They were largely before my time, certainly before my memory of music, although I am familiar with their main work. To my hearing, there is actually quite a gap between the backgrounds and styles of the Louvins and the Everlys. What is the best way of understanding that connection? Was it quite a direct evolution that was more comprehensible at the time?

Two, Gram Parsons. For me, this is the country music artist of the early seventies who stands out for being leftfield. Charlie is said to have been an influence and I have even seen some comparisons made between him and "Living With War" era Neil Young. Meanwhile, he described himself as a bit of a redneck.

Listening to that final album, I find his patriotism difficult to read. It seems both staunch and questioning. Any pointers on this? Or i it best just to enjoy his music and understand it in the context of its time and place without worrying overly about, say, polemic?

[Martin Reynolds]

Better late than never. From today's Independent:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/charlie-louvin-one-half-of-the-celebrated-country-music-duo-the-louvin-brothers-2222883.html

Incidentally Friday's show on The Cat will have a Balkan theme.