Charlie Louvin

Charles Elzer Loudermilk, born July 7, 1927 in Henegar, Alabama, is a American country music singer, songwriter best known by the stage name, Charlie Louvin.

Louvin began singing professionally with his brother Ira as a teenager. They sang traditional and gospel music in harmony style that they had learned in their church choir.

They began singing on local radio program in Chattanooga, Tennessee in the early 1940s. After an interruption for Charlie's Army service, they moved first to Knoxville then to Memphis and worked as postal clerks by day while making appearances in the evening. Charlie was recalled to the Army for the Korean War; following this they relocated briefly to Birmingham, Alabama.

Up until this point they had been known as gospel artists, but had an opportunity to perform at the Grand Ole Opry. On the advice of a sponsor who said "you can't sell tobacco with gospel music," they added secular material to their act. In the mid-1950s the Louvin Brothers became well known, recording professionally and making many appearances. They became members of the Grand Ole Opry in 1955 and had 20 recordings that made the country music charts. Their harmony style became influential to later recording artists, including Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris.

Their popularity faded somewhat with rock and roll, and in 1964 the brothers split up as an act, performing separately. Ira died in a car accident in 1965. Charlie Louvin continued as a solo act and to record and make appearances.

In 2001, the Louvin bothers were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.