Satan Is Real: The Ballad of the Louvin Brothers
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"Grand themes of life, death, religion, salvation, damnation, human choices and, sometimes, joy."--Randy Lewis, Los Angeles Times
Product Description
Charlie Louvin was a good, god-fearing, church-going Christian gospel singer. His brother Ira was not. A hard drinker, Ira was known for frequently smashing his mandolin onstage; he was banned from performing at the Grand Ole Opry for several weeks after a scandal in which his wife shot him five times when he tried to choke her with a telephone cord; and he got into an altercation with Presley while they were on tour together after calling the young rock-and-roller's music trash. Ira lived fast and died young, and his brother Charlie recalls visiting his grave, hearing his brother's voice, and singing one last duet with him. "Satan Is Real" is the incredible tale of the sixty-plus-year career of Charlie Louvin, the timeless murder ballads of the Louvin Brothers, and an epic tale of two brothers bound together by love, hate, alcohol, blood, and music.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
The best cover I've possibly ever seen, and the best story about how that cover came to be I could ever imagine...alongside a hell of a lot of other amazing stories. The ones about growing up as an Alabama sharecropper's sons will bring tears to your eyes, and you'll be sick with longing to go to one of the Haynes family reunions to hear them sing gospel. There's the pain of watching a brother destroy himself, and the fascination of those tidbits about Elvis and the Monroe Brothers, Johnny Cash and Hank Williams, the behind the scenes at the Grand Ole Opry. It's just Charlie Louvin telling those stories too, like he just might have told you little by little in a social sort of way if you were lucky enough to be friends before he passed. I'm sure Benjamin Whitmer put a whole lot of work into pulling it all together, but man, you just can't see the signs. Except in that effortless storytelling. Means he did a hell of a job.
A book for any fan of music, but if you were lucky enough to be raised on country, this will blow you sky high. You can't go wrong buying the album either, listening to those beautiful old-fashioned harmonies you can hear how the music ran in that Louvin blood and demanded its toll, and it's never a waste of time meditating on sin and insecurity, alcohol and guns, love and redemption. This book has it all, and adds a whole new dimension to some incredible music. That Johnny Cash hung around outside one of their gigs just to hear them through the window because he couldn't afford to get in (though Charlie let him in, not knowing who he was at all), or that they were Elvis's mother's favourite gospel group...well, in my opinion the Louvin's never needed that kind of validation. But they surely have it.
A book for any fan of music, but if you were lucky enough to be raised on country, this will blow you sky high. You can't go wrong buying the album either, listening to those beautiful old-fashioned harmonies you can hear how the music ran in that Louvin blood and demanded its toll, and it's never a waste of time meditating on sin and insecurity, alcohol and guns, love and redemption. This book has it all, and adds a whole new dimension to some incredible music. That Johnny Cash hung around outside one of their gigs just to hear them through the window because he couldn't afford to get in (though Charlie let him in, not knowing who he was at all), or that they were Elvis's mother's favourite gospel group...well, in my opinion the Louvin's never needed that kind of validation. But they surely have it.
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
They were the most acclaimed, and influential, duo in country music but, away from the limelight, the Louvin Brothers' closeness turned into sheer loathing over the years. So tells Charlie Louvin in an autobiography which leaves no family truth hidden.
"Satan Is Real" (named after their 1959 album and, on the book cover, merged into a garish pulp image) reveals a harsh childhood that saw them working longs hours in the cotton fields and an abusive father who would frequently beat them. Music became their only realistic escape route. Starting off as gospel artists, the move over to secular music put them firmly in the public eye with hits like "When I Stop Dreaming", "I Don't Believe you've Met My Baby" and "Cash On The Barrelhead". But as success continued, the brothers began treading different pathways with Charlie looking after business while Ira, an exceptional musician possessing a short and violent temper (often smashing up out-of-tune mandolins on stage), became more and more immersed in a lifestyle of boozing and womanising leading, eventually, to the disintegration of the brothers' relationship, both personally and professionally. While Charlie enjoyed a secure marriage, Ira wed four times, with third wife Faye shooting him six times after a severe argument, then dying in a head-on car crash alongside fourth wife Alice. Charlie Louvin subsequently went to score two dozen solo chart hits, as well as a handful of duets with Melba Montgomery. Then, in his later years, he gained a following with younger rock fans and died in 2011, a few months before the publication of this book.
Written in a personal, off-the-cuff manner, the story is told in short chapters and often enthused with an expletive or two. The book reveals the hardships of their early childhood and the struggles to gain a footing in the music industry. There's many fine anecdotes on such music folks as flamboyant entrepreneur Smilin' Eddie Hill, music publisher Fred Rose, record producer Ken Nelson, songwriter Kris Kristofferson and bluegrass Hall of Famer Bill Monroe, who once offered to loan Ira his mandolin, a gesture never shown to anyone else. There's also the interesting story about how, as kids, the brothers Louvins sneaked in to a Roy Acuff show then, years later, a young Johnny Cash turned up at one of theirs. Towards the end Charlie Louvin reflects the changes in country music - "it ain't country music anymore", he remarks - and the Grand Ole Opry, "the longer you've been at the Opry, the worse they treat you."
The Louvin Brothers legacy is already well preserved but, with "Satan Is Real", it gains a new prospective. A truly fascinating read.
"Satan Is Real" (named after their 1959 album and, on the book cover, merged into a garish pulp image) reveals a harsh childhood that saw them working longs hours in the cotton fields and an abusive father who would frequently beat them. Music became their only realistic escape route. Starting off as gospel artists, the move over to secular music put them firmly in the public eye with hits like "When I Stop Dreaming", "I Don't Believe you've Met My Baby" and "Cash On The Barrelhead". But as success continued, the brothers began treading different pathways with Charlie looking after business while Ira, an exceptional musician possessing a short and violent temper (often smashing up out-of-tune mandolins on stage), became more and more immersed in a lifestyle of boozing and womanising leading, eventually, to the disintegration of the brothers' relationship, both personally and professionally. While Charlie enjoyed a secure marriage, Ira wed four times, with third wife Faye shooting him six times after a severe argument, then dying in a head-on car crash alongside fourth wife Alice. Charlie Louvin subsequently went to score two dozen solo chart hits, as well as a handful of duets with Melba Montgomery. Then, in his later years, he gained a following with younger rock fans and died in 2011, a few months before the publication of this book.
Written in a personal, off-the-cuff manner, the story is told in short chapters and often enthused with an expletive or two. The book reveals the hardships of their early childhood and the struggles to gain a footing in the music industry. There's many fine anecdotes on such music folks as flamboyant entrepreneur Smilin' Eddie Hill, music publisher Fred Rose, record producer Ken Nelson, songwriter Kris Kristofferson and bluegrass Hall of Famer Bill Monroe, who once offered to loan Ira his mandolin, a gesture never shown to anyone else. There's also the interesting story about how, as kids, the brothers Louvins sneaked in to a Roy Acuff show then, years later, a young Johnny Cash turned up at one of theirs. Towards the end Charlie Louvin reflects the changes in country music - "it ain't country music anymore", he remarks - and the Grand Ole Opry, "the longer you've been at the Opry, the worse they treat you."
The Louvin Brothers legacy is already well preserved but, with "Satan Is Real", it gains a new prospective. A truly fascinating read.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
17 reviews
39 of 39 people found the following review helpful
Definitely a "must have" book
6 Jan 2012
Format:Hardcover
I worked for Charlie for 12 years as bass player, harmony vocals, bandleader, record producer and very close friend. I am so glad that Charlie took the time to share he and his brother's life through the pages of this book. Charlie was often accused of being outspoken and opinionated but his beliefs and convictions never wavered. You always knew where he stood. There's absolutely no guessing. He had a very strong will, determination and character.
This book has so many great stories about Charlie's and his brother Ira plus an added bonus of lyrics to several of the duo's best loved songs. Charlie and Ira didn't always seen eye to eye but if you wanted to get on Charlie's bad side, just say something negative about his brother. Ira died in 1965 but until Charlie's dying day he loved his brother more than words could ever say. As much as Charlie loved music and performing, his family was the most important of all. I am honored to say that being on the road with Charlie I heard many of these stories but there's even some stories in the book that he never told. Whether you're a fan of the Louvin Brothers, Charlie Louvin or traditional country music you'll get a glimpse of love, life, family and the trails and tribulations for one of the most famous and most influential music duos. I think it should be required reading for university music degree programs or for those wanting to get in to the music business so they can understand what sacrifices artists made in paving the way for the next generation of up and coming acts. Definitely a must have book.
This book has so many great stories about Charlie's and his brother Ira plus an added bonus of lyrics to several of the duo's best loved songs. Charlie and Ira didn't always seen eye to eye but if you wanted to get on Charlie's bad side, just say something negative about his brother. Ira died in 1965 but until Charlie's dying day he loved his brother more than words could ever say. As much as Charlie loved music and performing, his family was the most important of all. I am honored to say that being on the road with Charlie I heard many of these stories but there's even some stories in the book that he never told. Whether you're a fan of the Louvin Brothers, Charlie Louvin or traditional country music you'll get a glimpse of love, life, family and the trails and tribulations for one of the most famous and most influential music duos. I think it should be required reading for university music degree programs or for those wanting to get in to the music business so they can understand what sacrifices artists made in paving the way for the next generation of up and coming acts. Definitely a must have book.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Great stories, tragic tales
23 Jan 2012
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Of course the stories Charlie Louvin tells are fantastic. The time he and his brother sneaked a listen to Roy Acuff, and later the time Johnny Cash sneaked a listen to them. The shiny hucksters. The small-time radio gigs. Crammed inside a tool shed to try out for the Opry, over and over. Roy Acuff's people calling him a liar. Hank Williams passed out drunk in a Shreveport gutter. Korean War. Walgreen's lunch counter. All of the "success" of his later years.
In addition to the telling great stories and showcasing his devotion for his brother, Charlie Louvin got it right in the way the stories are presented. Louvin and Ben Whitmer have put together a phenomenal book in terms of structure, for one thing. Each story is presented in a few pages -- sometimes three, sometimes five or six. Each one can stand all alone, like a short story, but each story informs the entire narrative, like chapters in a book.
This book is kinda like the quilt your grandmother and her friends had hanging from that frame in the ceiling, the one they worked on every afternoon while you watched tv and drank iced tea and listened to them out of the corner of your ear. Each little square they worked into the quilt had its own narrative, its own reason. And they worked, piecing them together in a tapestry, the whole being so much more than the sum of its parts. Each square a work of art, and the whole quilt a piece of each of them, a memory of warmth, passed down for generations.
Charlie Louvin told great stories, and Benjamin Whitmer Pike (Switchblade) has worked them together into an amazing collection.
Whether you're interested in country living or country music, in American history or personal history, SATAN IS REAL is a remarkable achievement and, more importantly, an amazing and rewarding read.
In addition to the telling great stories and showcasing his devotion for his brother, Charlie Louvin got it right in the way the stories are presented. Louvin and Ben Whitmer have put together a phenomenal book in terms of structure, for one thing. Each story is presented in a few pages -- sometimes three, sometimes five or six. Each one can stand all alone, like a short story, but each story informs the entire narrative, like chapters in a book.
This book is kinda like the quilt your grandmother and her friends had hanging from that frame in the ceiling, the one they worked on every afternoon while you watched tv and drank iced tea and listened to them out of the corner of your ear. Each little square they worked into the quilt had its own narrative, its own reason. And they worked, piecing them together in a tapestry, the whole being so much more than the sum of its parts. Each square a work of art, and the whole quilt a piece of each of them, a memory of warmth, passed down for generations.
Charlie Louvin told great stories, and Benjamin Whitmer Pike (Switchblade) has worked them together into an amazing collection.
Whether you're interested in country living or country music, in American history or personal history, SATAN IS REAL is a remarkable achievement and, more importantly, an amazing and rewarding read.
12 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Lovin the Louvins !!!
15 Jan 2012
Format:Hardcover
I read hundreds of books a year but this was one of the most enjoyable books I've read in years. I had always heard of the Louvin Brothers but to be honest I didn't know a whole lot about them. After reading "Satan is Real", that is no longer the case. This book is informative, fun, and written in a manner that is simple and easy to follow. After finishing the book I rushed to You Tube to watch videos of Charlie & Ira and I have to agree they are as fine a duet as I've seen. What sweet harmony to be hold. Their life story is told from their rough & poor childhood in Alabama, to the begining of their musical careers as struggleing artists and on to the Grand Ole Opry. The book continues right up to the deaths of Ira in 1965 and Charlie in 2011. A timely novel that any lover of music will want to read right away and then go tell all their friends about. I am now a full fledged fan, chasing down their music, and memorbilia. Oh and I amost forgot to mention, the book also has one of the coolest, if not the coolest covers I've ever seen. The jacket is taken from an actual Louvin Brothers album cover, and is a story in itself. The photo shoot for it is covered in the book as well. Great stuff, this book has it all. After reading this one you will also want to seek out Benjamin Whitmers debut novel "Pike", a terrific crime novel debut.
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