In Close Harmony: The Story of the Louvin Brothers (American Made Music)
The Louvin Brothers inspired country-influenced singers from Elvis to Emmylou Harris. The Everly Brothers, in particular, were, Wolfe avers, a "polished and commercialized" version of the Louvins. Natives of Alabama's Sand Mountain area, Charlie and Ira Louvin's musical roots were firmly planted in gospel. Wolfe dedicatedly documents their lives and their often stormy personal relationship during long years on the road. At the time Ira died, a car crash victim, in 1965, the act was moribund, though many fans and colleagues had hoped for a reunion. The Louvins' reputation has been maintained by their oft-recorded songs, such as "The Christian Life" and "If I Could Only Win Your Love," and by the championing of such younger stars as, most recently, Ricky Skaggs and Marty Stuart. A laudable feature of the book is the way Wolfe weaves discography into the narrative: session lists come at the appropriate places in the text, so that you don't have to flip to an appended discography to find out what Wolfe's talking about. Wolfe does the brothers justice.Mike Tribby--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.