Durable Charlie Louvin surprises himself in new release

by charles haymes

On Sept. 16, Charlie Louvin will release Steps to Heaven. The 10-song gospel set features a choir and is a different twist compared to the his previous recordings.

“I did things on the gospel record I had no idea I could do. I’d be thinking along the way, ‘How can I do things I’ve never done before.�?And I did it,�?Louvin said.

This summer, Louvin celebrated his 81st birthday. The veteran country music singer remains highly active and will tour on the heels of this release.

“There’s not a lot of people my age still recording and doing live shows,�?Louvin noted. “I feel very fortunate to still be able to do all the things that I do.�?BR>
He is best known as one half of the sibling duo, the Louvin Brothers. The legendary pair was born in Alabama. They began singing at a young age and developed their close harmony by listening to other brother acts.

In 1941, the duo, still in their teens, performed in Flat Rock, Ala., marking their first-ever paid performance. The following year, they won a talent contest, giving them their initial on-the-air exposure via WDEF in Chattanooga.

The brothers continued to work in that area from 1943 until Charlie entered the Army in 1945. After his time in the service, the Louvin Brothers were signed to record for Capitol Records as a gospel act in 1952.

"We did not mean to start that way,�?Louvin stated. “We had always mixed our music on our roadshows and our schoolhouse shows but when we got a chance to get a recording contract, Capitol Records had just signed Jim & Jesse.

“Capitol told us that they already had a secular duo but if we wanted to record, they would sign us as a gospel duo,�?he continued. “We wanted to record, so we took the deal. It took about three or four years or so for us to deviate from gospel music.�?BR>
Louvin’s Steps to Heaven is a throwback to his roots and love for gospel songs.

“Gospel music was always important to us,�?he said. “Obviously, we started out that way but we never got completely away from it, even we started recording secular albums. I still love singing gospel songs just as much as I did over 50 years ago.�?BR>
The Louvin Brothers went their separate ways in 1963. Charlie stayed with Capitol Records and began a solo career. Ira started a career on his own but it was cut tragically short when his car was struck head-on in Missouri in 1965.

Steps to Heaven follows a self-titled project that witnessed Louvin receiving a Grammy nomination for Best Traditional Folk Album. Collaborating with Louvin on the album was an array of artists, ranging from country legend George Jones to pop star Elvis Costello to alternative country singer Tift Merrit.

“That album was certainly something different for me,�?Louvin acknowledged. “It’s was an honor to get a Grammy nomination. It’s good to have nice things like this happen when you reach my age.�?BR>
Like it’s predecessor, Steps to Heaven is produced by Mark Nevers, who is known for his work with such groups as Calexico and Lambchop.

Louvin is one of American music’s finest treasures. He defines genuine.

He is simple and down-to-earth, unchanged by popularity or stardom.

Charles Haymes is a free-lance writer from Beebe, and a member of both the Country Music Association and the International Bluegrass Music Association.