It’s the end of an era as one of the last living links to the very formative years of bluegrass has passed on to the sweet by and by. Jesse McReynolds was a bluegrass legend, an influential and innovative mandolin player.
There are few tours that are more legendary to the history of country music than the six-week tour that Gram Parsons embarked on in 1973 behind his album GP. Yes, there were certainly bigger tours with higher grossing receipts, or tours that featured a more scintillating lineup.
There are many legendary country songs, and many legendary country songwriters. But few songs are as synonymous with country music to the point where they’re so well-recognized and can be recited by those well outside the country fold like “Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys.”
A new biopic film about one of country music’s most interesting, iconic, influential, and troubled acts is being developed. Real life best friends Ethan Hawke and Alessandro Nivola are teaming up to play Charlie and Ira Louvin, known collectively as The Louvin Brothers, in a film adaptation of Charlie Louvin’s famous account, “Satan Is Real.”
As the most storied institution in country, the direction of the Grand Ole Opry is always a hot topic, especially among traditional country fans. And many were unhappy with how the Opry functioned under the Pete Fisher regime. Of course the biggest question for Grand Ole Opry fans is who will be Pete Fisher’s replacement, and what direction will the new leadership take the institution?
So many of country music’s legendary artists also spent time earlier in their lives serving the country in one capacity or another. And on Veteran’s Day as we pay tribute to ALL the men and women who served in the military and put themselves in harm’s way, let’s have some fun by looking back to see how many of these country legends we can pick out by their pictures.
Rich Vanaugh played drums for Kitty Wells and Charlie Louvin, Jeannie Seely and Jack Greene, and Mel Tillis and Dottie West over his long career, but he will forever be known as one of the backbones of one of the most beloved bands in Nashville, the Western swing-inspired supergroup The Time Jumpers, and one of the friendliest musicians you would ever meet.
In celebration of The Louvin Brothers being honored by the Grammy’s with a Lifetime Achievement Award, JuddFilms has made the 2011 Charlie Louvin documentary Still Rattlin’ The Devil’s Cage available to stream free online. The 45-minute film features interviews with many country greats, including Charlie Louvin himself, his son Sonny Louvin, Emmylou Harris, George Jones, Alison Krauss, and Marty Stuart.
Country music loves to pride itself in supporting the troops and the cause of the military more than any other genre. Though some of it may be bravado meant more for marketing, there are many legends in the country music ranks that served their country as young men. Here’s a list of country heroes who served the county.
Slowly over the past few years we’re seeing the re-emergence of both God and Jesus in roots music content, and the popularization of gospel. Why? Possibly for the same reason the devil works so well, because God and Jesus are beginning to re-emerge as “folk” characters too, that even non-religious people can identify with as personifications of good.
The greatest element of this film is that it captures with great wisdom that Charlie Louvin’s life was a victory. The epitaph that it conveys with a bold starkness is simply “He won.” The moral of the story is that victory is within anyone’s reach. That is the everlasting message to go with Charlie Louvin’s everlasting influence on American music.
Only 44% of campaigns are being funded, and some folks are setting them up almost as a lark, like throwing a hook into the water just to see if it bites, diluting attention and sometimes money from other projects with a more purposeful aim. I’ve put a list together of some questions I think people should ask before starting a Kickstarter campaign.
On August 17th, Shooter Jennings fired a shot across the bow of Music Row and the “new Outlaw” country movement by releasing the song “Outlaw You” on CMT. Now with the help of JuddFilms, Shooter has released a more fleshed out, viral-style video for the song. It was released today, once again with the help of CMT.
Judd Films and Neltner Creative have just launched the website louvinfilm.com in support of the upcoming documentary Charlie Louvin / Still Rattlin’ The Devil’s Cage, now targeted for a July 15th release date. In breathtaking cinematic quality, the film covers the final concert, and final days of the Country Music Hall of Famer, and interviews with notables such as Marty Stuart, George Jones, John McCrea of Cake, and Emmylou Harris.
Rachel Brooke’s Down In The Barnyard was one of my most-anticipated releases for 2011. Then again 2011, especially early, has been full of anticipated releases that have been either disappointments in one way or another, or difficult to wholly appreciate because they’re full of previously-released material. Luckily, Down In The Barnyard delivers.
I feel the need to iterate to you some observations for last night’s 2011 Grammy Awards, if only to get them off my chest. This is not entirely going to be a bitch fest. Every year they air the Grammy’s, and every year people are left scratching their heads and feeling hopelessness for music, and so it was to be expected that this year would be no different…
The buzz going into 2011’s Muddy Roots Festival is that this is going to be “the one” event that marks a major shift in the interest, support, and unity in underground roots. It is only appropriate then that Judd Films will be there to document it…One of the performers Judd Films will be there to capture will be 90-year-old Country Music Hall of Famer Don Maddox.
Rachel Brooke’s much-anticipated release Down In The Barnyard has been given an official release date of February 22nd. It can be pre-ordered now…A few songs from the new album will be debuted on Outlaw Radio tonight (1-26-11) on SCM LIVE at 8 PM Central, and later will be archived on episode 129 on the Outlaw Radio Page. There will also be a tribute to Charlie Louvin tonight at 6:30 Central…
Country Music Hall of Famer and Grand Ole Opry Legend Charlie Louvin died at 1 AM early Wednesday morning according to his son Charlie “Sonny” Louvin Jr. Charlie had been battling pancreatic cancer. Earlier this month Charlie had been in the hospital for a urinary tract infection and dehydration. He was 83.
Charles Elzer Loudermilk was born in Henagar, AL in July of 1927.
The Muddy Roots Festival happening this September 3rd & 4th in Cookeville, TN has just announced a new slew of names to their lineup, and they might be just as impressive as the initial list. Marquee names for me were the country music throwback and hillbilly royalty blood of Lucky Tubb and his Modern Day Troubadours, the Outlaw Carnie Bob Wayne, and the legendary Charlie Louvin.
Country Music Hall of Famer and Grand Ole Opry member Charlie Louvin is in the hospital, and the prognosis is not good. According to his son Charlie Louvin Jr., who also goes by Sonny, Charlie was admitted to the hospital in Tullahoma, TN for a urinary tract infection and dehydration on Monday. He has been fighting pancreatic cancer.
On February 22, 1956, Elvis Presley played a concert at the City Auditorium in Waycross, GA. Opening for Elvis that night were two brothers, Charlie and Ira, a gospel duo called The Louvin Brothers. In the crowd was a 9-year-old boy, a native of Georgia, born and raised in Waycross. How that boy felt about Elvis that night is uncertain, but The Louvin Brothers left an indelible mark on him that he would carry for the rest of his life.
I’m happy to announce that Charlie Louvin: Still Rattling The Devil’s Cage, a film project by Blake Judd and Keith Neltner has been fully funded through Kickstarter. The project was put together to develop a DVD whose proceeds will go to Charlie Louvin and his mounting medical bills associated with his ongoing battle with pancreatic cancer.
Yesterday was the worldwide release for Charlie Louvin’s new album The Battle Rages On, a 12-song tribute to the men and women of the Armed Services. The 4-time Grammy Winner, Country Music Hall of Famer, and member of the Grand Ole Opry for 55 years shows his patriotic side as his own battle rages on with pancreatic cancer.