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Satan is Real

HiFi in WYO

HiFi in WYO

The universe is a big place, perhaps the biggest.
Interesting how things come into your life. Not sure why this did but I'm glad for it.

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I was reading some news site today, of course filled with ads, and one of the ads was for a list of the worst album covers of all time. Satan Is Real by the Louvin Brothers released in 1959 was among them. Never heard of this duo before, but they've influenced a lot of people.

So of course I had to listen to their music, which tends to be gospel-inspired folk music with Ira on his mandolin and Charlie on guitar. Great stuff. I feel like I'm back in Missouri at the ole' Austin Bean Eatin' listing to good old foot-stomping music with a bowl of ham and beans!

So a bit of research shows the brothers were from Alabama and grew up playing gospel music. The irony is though gospel and religion influenced their lives, Ira was a drunk. And a violent drunk at that. Charlie, who wasn't a drunk, seemed to swear like a drunken sailor and smoked until he died at 83. But Ira's story is far more tragic - he had four wives and was killed in 1965 (in Missouri) by a drunk driver. At the time a warrant was out for Ira for DUI. Oh, the irony.

Charlie wrote a book about their lives called "Satan is Real," and I've ordered a copy. Should be an interesting read. Their music is!
 
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Charlie's book is fantastic. He knew a lot of artists and is very honest about them. Tells the story of that album cover, too. Really, one of the better musical autobiographies.
 
I will have to check it out, never heard of them. I found a cache of Bluegrass LPs a year or so ago - Stanley Bros and the like , which opened me up to that world. Thanks for sharing.
 
I guess Satan is plywood and they shot the pic at a rock quarry using kerosene and tires for fire and brimstone. At least that's what the inteweb says. Actually pretty edgy for 1959 and more so for a gospel/folk artist!
 
Just checked on Apple Music and there numerous albums both original and remastered of the Louvin Brothers. The above LP "Tragic Songs of Life" was renamed, "A Tiny Broken Heart" which is track #4 on the release. Thanks for the turn on have added them to the list.
 
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