From:   "Dik de Heer" 
Date:  Sun Apr 21, 2002  2:06 am
Subject:  Born To Be With You : Ira Louvin
 
IRA LOUVIN (By Shaun Mather)

Born Lonnie Ira Loudermilk, 21 April 1924, Rainesville, Alabama
Died 20 June 1965, Jefferson City, Missouri

The Louvin Brothers are recognised as one of the greatest duos in country
music history. They are the stepping stone between the early sounds of the
Blue Sky Boys and the later style of the Everly Brothers, and achieved their
success without really changing their sound to meet what was deemed to be
commercial. Ira and his younger brother Charlie (born July 7, 1927) sang
together from an early age in church, before joining a radio station in
Chattanooga. With Charlie doing a spell in the army, Ira played with
Charlie Monroe, until his brother was discharged, whereby they moved to
Knoxville, playing on WROL then WNOX. They abandoned the family name,
became the Louvin Brothers and made the unusual move to Memphis, a town
more associated with blues than country. Following a single on Apollo they
moved back to Knoxville, cut a single for Decca in 1949 and in '51 they signed
with MGM. After being signed to Acuff-Rose Publishing they got a contract
with Capitol Records and had a minor hit with their label debut, The Family
Who Prays. Their career looked to be on the up until Charlie was recalled
by the Army to serve in the Korean War. When he returned the brothers moved
to Birmingham and eventually got a chance on the Grand Ole Opry, on the
proviso that they add some secular items to their gospel repertoire. The
move to secular music was a great success with the duo hitting the Top Ten
in 1955 with When I Stop Dreaming. Over the next couple of years they
scored with I Don't Believe You've Met My Baby, Hoping That You're Hoping,
You're Running Wild, Cash On The Barrel Head, My Baby's Gone and others.
Their albums were a high quality mix of secular and gospel and included
Tragic Songs Of Life, Nearer My God To Thee and tributes to the Delmore
Brothers and Roy Acuff. Ken Nelson of Capitol pressured them into trying an
uptempo record but the result Red Hen Hop failed to click and when he asked
them to dispense with the mandolin, a rift developed that was beyond repair.
Ira, always head-strong and with a precious ego, grew resentful and started
drinking worse than normal. A couple of hits in '61 (I Love You Best Of All
and How's The World Treating You) and Must You Throw Dirt In My Face from
a year later did little to ease his slip into alcoholism. When the brothers
split in 1963 and both started recording as solos for Capitol, it was
Charlie who enjoyed chart success. Ira went through a couple more wives,
the fourth one of which was killed with him in a car crash. The Louvin
Brothers were finally and justifiably inducted into the Country Music Hall
of Fame in 2001, their plaque reading, "A stellar harmony duet, Ira and
Charlie Louvin (born Loudermilk) influenced singers ranging from the Everly
Brothers to Emmylou Harris. Mandolinist Ira and guitarist Charlie thrilled
millions with their singing, often crossing harmony parts in dazzling ways.
Joining the Grand Ole Opry in 1955, they made hits like "When I Stop
Dreaming" for Capitol Records before launching solo careers in 1963."

Recommended listening:
Close Harmony - Bear Family (8CD)
Country Love Ballads/A Tribute to the Delmore Brothers - EMI
Recommended reading:
Charles Wolfe, In Close Harmony : The Story Of The Louvin Brothers.
Jackson, MS : University Press of Mississippi, 1996.
More info: http://artist.country.com/cmt/art/search/art.bios.jhtml?ai_id=506227