Editorial
Front Page - Friday, February 11, 2011
Southern Style
I Wish You Knew - Charlie Louvin
Randall Franks
It was the second Chatta-hoochee Valley Fiddler’s Con-vention bluegrass band competition for my fledging Peachtree Pickers. We stepped upon the stage and began performing, it was a Louvin Brothers song – “I Wish You Knew” that gained us the favor of the audience. It was Grand Ole Opry stars Jim and Jesse’s respect of the Louvin’s music that introduced me to the song combined with the admiration of my mandolin teacher Eugene Akers.
Learning it made a huge difference in our performance and we made a good showing competing against adult bluegrass performers bringing home fourth place. The judge’s decision brought a host of boos as I walked to the stage to accept the award, our songs had gained so much favor with the audience, and they felt we were slighted. (Visit http://randallfranks.com/ to see this vintage performance.)
It was about a year later in 1983 that Charlie Louvin sat on the opposite side of a picnic table from me. We watched the folks breaking up and leaving the Louvin Brothers Music Park in Henagar, Ala., and his first big show at the new park.
I was still working to gain attention for my teen-age bluegrass band.
That day Charlie took the time to share with me some of his experiences as he imparted his wisdom from many years as a performer. Initially performing with his brother Ira, who played mandolin and sang tenor, Charlie played guitar and sang lead. They recorded some of the most outstanding brother duets that any genre ever created.
The late Eugene Akers was a huge fan. He even owned one of Ira’s mandolins, which I played on stage on numerous occasions.
When they went their separate ways professionally, Charlie gained success as a solo artist scoring numerous hits and of course, spent another 50 years as part of the Grand Ole Opry. His brother Ira died in an automobile accident.
I was always partial to Charlie’s singing of songs such as “See the Big Man Cry, Mama” or “Will You Visit Me on Sundays.” He was one of those singers who could make you cry with his voice.
As we sat there that day, in a way I could see an artist who had worked hard to stay relevant in an ever-changing music world.
He commented to me how much of his career in music was spent in what seemed to be an endless progression of keeping up a band and a bus. Those were words that stuck with me as a young artist and in fact probably helped me decide what business model I would follow as I navigated through my career.
I was saddened to hear that Charlie lost his battle with pancreatic cancer passing away at the age of 83 in War Trace, Tenn.
Through the years, Charlie and I performed on several of the same shows and visited many times, especially, when I was working around the Opry.
While the Louvins inspired the first generation of rockers, I was pleased to see in recent years a whole new audience of rockers discovered Charlie and helped to create a resurgence in his popularity giving him a chance to entertain to the millennium generation.
He and his brother were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2001. He won a Grammy nomination in 2007 and a tribute album “Livin’, Lovin’, Losin’: Songs of the Louvin Brothers” won the award for Best Country Album in 2004.
Fans and friends alike will miss Charlie. It is a blessing that he gave us a career spanning seven decades leaving so much wonderful music to enjoy.
Personally, I want to say to Charlie, I wish you knew how much your sharing your gifts influenced my growth, my hopes and aspirations. Thank you….
Randall Franks is an award-winning musician, singer and actor. He is best known for his role as “Officer Randy Goode” on TV’s “In the Heat of the Night” now on WGN America. His latest CD release, “An Appalachian Musical Revival,” is by www.shareamericafoundation.org. He is a member of the Atlanta Country Music Hall of Fame. He is a syndicated columnist for http://randallfranks.com/ and can be reached at rfrankscatoosa@gmail.com.
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