CHARLIE LOUVIN: A MORNING I'LL NEVER FORGET

I have been a little absent from this blog the past couple of weeks, but there were two events this past week that I just had to comment on.

First of all, I just received word this morning that Charlie Louvin had passed away at the age of 83. What a legendary career that he had as both a member of the Louvin Brothers and as a solo artist. Running the gamut of recorded history from acetates to MP3’s, Louvin transcended all musical genres and styles. The past ten years or so had seen a resurgence in his career in the Americana format. He was one of a kind, without a doubt.

Back in May 2002, I was very fortunate to have Charlie as a guest during my days at WDKN in Dickson, TN. He was very gracious to drive all the way from Manchester at 7:30 in the morning to share stories from his career with our listeners. It was one of the most memorable mornings of my radio career. After all, it’s not every day that you have a member of the Country Music Hall Of Fame on your show---but also in your studio. We did about two and a half hours live that morning, and then afterwards we drove out to Cracker Barrel for a late breakfast. Our conversations---both on and off the air—were very interesting. I learned a lot during both. Of course, there were a few things that weren’t told on the radio that I won’t divulge, but it was truly an honor to get to hear inside talk about Country’s true golden age from one of its’ participants. For those that aren’t familiar with Middle Tennessee, it’s about 110 miles from Manchester to Dickson, and I am very humbled that he took time to drive all the way for an on-air interview. Moments like that were priceless then….and even more so now. I had a few other chances to interview Charlie, and he was just as nice as he was that first time. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family at this time. He had suffered from Pancreatic Cancer for a while now, and thankfully his suffering is over. Don’t you know that the Hillbilly section up in Heaven today sounds just a little sweeter with Charlie and Ira reunited?

On to another note. Every now and then, I love to bring a song to people’s attention. It might be a current single, or a “Deep Catalog” cut from 1973, but it’s a song that people need to hear. This time, it’s from a current artist. I don’t think it was a major hit single, but if you ever run across it, take a few minutes and listen. It’s called “A Million Ways To Run” from Terri Clark, and though she’s had songs that have enjoyed higher chart success or more airplay, but I don’t know if she’s recorded any song more powerful. It’s from her CD THE LONG WAY HOME, and it’s just an amazing track. Rather than tell you about it, I’ll just include a link and let the music speak for itself. But, you’ve got to hear it….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2tIK1j1gLA