The Louvin legacy is certainly not short on statistics and awards.  “When I Stop Dreaming” expanded thier considerable gospel duo status as the first of many charttopping country recordings with brother Ira in a swirl of hits that earned the Louvin Brothers inductions into Sonwriters Hall Of Fame, the Alabama Music Hall Of Fame, and the Alabama Country Music Hall Of Fame, in addition to four nominations to the Country Music Hall Of Fame.  Equally important is the impact of the Louvin Brothers on later acts, from Emmylou Harris to the Whistine Brothers, for a brief condensation of the list

     Charlie’s solo career since 1964 has generated its own body of hit material and string of memorable performances from “I Don’t Love You Anymore” and “Will You Visit Me On Sundays” to a Grammy shared with Melba Montgomery.  But commercial success and industry recognition are hybrid gtafts on the tree.  The roots have to do with honoring the soil, the family, feelings and emotions, the Creator.  The accumulative effect is that on the Grand Ole Opry any of the few remaining appropriate television shows, or in concert, Charlie has a massive repertiore to draw from -- Louvin brothers hits, Charlie Louvin hits, folk ballads, and old-time and bluegrass standards, the Baptist hymnal ... it really doesn’t matter as long as the song is honest and he can relate to it.  Many of the older acts stick pretty close to their landmark hits because they think their fans expect them -- Louvin fans expect good music, period, and that’s what he gives them.

     “I played and sang before I got paid to do it,”  Charlie has been known to say, ‘ and I would continue to play and sing if I didn’t get paid.”  His longtime colleagues and admirers don't find the assertion strange at all, for most of them feel the same way -- they come from the same rootstock.  that sense of dedication has particular significance when one counts the number of  “Hot Country” group acts that have literally been assembled and dissolved over the past few years -- assembled in the scramble for record sales and dissolved because all the factors except the People had been considered.

     Ah, The People.  The Fans.  They’re the reason he keeps getting paid to play and sing and Charlie knows it.  The apple may not always fit corporate marketing strategies but the flavor is consistent and ... well, quite tasty.  And the flavor will hold up with hybrids yet to come.