[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 95 (Wednesday, July 19, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1452]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO CHARLIE LOUVIN

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JIM COOPER

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 19, 2006

  Mr. COOPER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to salute one of the great 
voices in American music and a resident of my hometown of Nashville: 
Charlie Louvin.
  Charlie just celebrated his 79th birthday at a day-long celebration 
held at the Louvin Brothers Museum in Nashville last weekend. Folks 
from around the country came to wish Charlie well and to thank him for 
his many great musical accomplishments on stage as a performer, and to 
recognize his extraordinary songwriting achievements.
  Charlie Louvin's career has spanned more than six decades and earned 
him a following that cuts across all music genres and generations.
  Charlie Louvin was born Charlie Loudermilk in Alabama in 1927. Along 
with his older brother Ira, he grew up listening to the Grand Ole Opry 
on the radio at night and dreamed of a career on the stage of Opry.
  Changing their name to Louvin, the brothers made their first musical 
performance on July 4th, 1940, playing background music for the merry-
go-round at a country fair. From that time on, the Louvins became known 
for a distinctive style of harmony singing that blended gospel 
harmonies with country influences. They performed regularly across the 
South, particularly in Alabama and Tennessee, building a following that 
would earn them attention--and a recording contract--in Nashville.
  From the mid-1950s through the early 1960s, the Louvin Brothers had 
over twenty entries on Billboard's country chart, including ``Cash on 
the Barrelhead'' and ``You're Running Wild.'' The Louvins would achieve 
their childhood dream, invited to join the Grand Ole Opy in 1955. Ira 
Louvin would die in a tragic automobile accident in 1965 but Charlie 
would continue on his own to record, perform and win the hearts of 
music lovers everywhere.
  In the late 1960s and early 1970s, groups like The Byrds and country 
rocker Gram Parsons introduced rock fans to the Louvins' talents, 
recording some of their classic songs. In 2002, Charlie was inducted 
into the Country Music Hall of Fame and, the following year, artists as 
diverse as James Taylor, Patty Loveless, Merle Haggard and Dolly Parton 
joined together to pay tribute to the Louvins. The result was a special 
CD: ``Livin', Lovin', Losin': Songs of the Louvin Brothers'' that 
became a must-have recording for country and rock fans alike. Even 
today, Charlie is apt to be found on stage performing alongside the 
likes of Cake, the popular rock band he recently toured with, or on 
stage at the Opry.
  As one of Nashville's most highly respected musicians and writers, I 
congratulate Charlie Louvin on his 79th birthday--and for creating 
music that is just as relevant today as it was 50 years ago.

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