Ira Lonnie Loudermilk (April 21, 1924 – June 20, 1965), known professionally as Ira Louvin, was an American

country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...

singer, mandolinist and songwriter. He was a cousin of songwriter

John D. Loudermilk John Dee Loudermilk Jr. (March 31, 1934 – September 21, 2016) was an American singer and songwriter. Although he had his own recording career during the 1950s and 1960s, he was primarily known as a songwriter. His best-known songs include "I ...

Biography

Ira Louvin was born in

Section, Alabama Section is a town in Jackson County, Alabama, United States and is included in the Chattanooga-Cleveland-Dalton, TN-GA-AL Combined Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the population of the town was 770, an increase of one person (769) from ...

and played together with his brother, Charlie, in the

close harmony A chord is in close harmony (also called close position or close structure) if its notes are arranged within a narrow range, usually with no more than an octave between the top and bottom notes. In contrast, a chord is in open harmony (also c ...

tradition as

the Louvin Brothers The Louvin Brothers were an American musical duo composed of brothers Ira and Charlie Louvin (''né'' Loudermilk). The brothers are cousins to John D. Loudermilk, a Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame member. The brothers wrote and performed ...

. They were heavily influenced by

the Delmore Brothers Alton Delmore (December 25, 1908 – June 9, 1964) and Rabon Delmore (December 3, 1916 – December 4, 1952), billed as The Delmore Brothers, were country music pioneer singer-songwriters and musicians who were stars of the Grand Ole Opry in the 1 ...

and Monroe Brothers. Ira played mandolin with

Charlie Monroe Charlie Monroe (July 4, 1903 – September 27, 1975) was an American country and bluegrass music guitarist. Charlie performed with his brother, Bill, as part of the Monroe Brothers. He later formed his own group, Charlie Monroe & the Kentucky P ...

, guitar player of the Monroe Brothers in the early 1940s. The Louvin Brothers' songs were heavily influenced by their Baptist faith and warned against sin. Ira was notorious for his drinking and short temper. He married four times, his third wife having shot him multiple times in the chest and hand after he allegedly beat her. He died on June 20, 1965 when a drunken driver struck his car in

Williamsburg, Missouri Williamsburg is an unincorporated community in eastern Callaway County, Missouri, United States. It is located on Missouri Supplemental Route D just north of Interstate 70, approximately thirteen miles northeast of Fulton Fulton may refer to: ...

. At the time, a warrant for Louvin's arrest had been issued on a DUI charge.

References

External links

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Artist Bio by Kim Summers @ AllMusicNashville Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee – Ira Louvin
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The Louvin Brother's lives from 1927 to 1963, and Ira's brother Charlie's life to the present on Raised Country!
{{DEFAULTSORT:Louvin, Ira 1924 births 1965 deaths Grand Ole Opry members Road incident deaths in Missouri American country singer-songwriters American mandolinists 20th-century American singers American country mandolinists Country musicians from Alabama Singer-songwriters from Alabama