Click to see a decades-spanning gallery of Charlie Louvin photos (this image: Samuel M. Simpkins/The Tennessean).
Alison Krauss will perform some of her favorite Louvin Brothers songs Saturday evening in Bell Buckle, in hopes of raising money to offset the cost of Louvin Brother Charlie Louvin’s pancreatic cancer treatment.
Louvin, the 83-year-old Country Music Hall of Famer, is happily bestowing headliner status on Krauss.
“I’m going to sing, but I’ll go on right before Alison,” Louvin said. “I wouldn’t follow her with nothing less than a Caterpillar d12 bulldozer. She is a singing piece of machinery.”
Louvin’s own singing career dates back to 1940, 31 years before Krauss was born. He and brother Ira were The Louvin Brothers, one of country music’s most celebrated duos. A solo artist since 1964, Louvin said Saturday’s all-day event will also serve as a CD release party for his new album, The Battles Rage On, out Nov. 9.
Louvin lost 40 pounds following his cancer diagnosis over the summer, but he recently regained his sense of taste and has added eight pounds in the last two weeks.
“I believe that things are better,” he said.
The benefit runs from noon to 9 p.m. at the Bell Buckle Banquet Hall on downtown Bell Buckle’s Main Street, and will include live music and an auction of memorabilia. Louvin will perform at 6:30, with Krauss on around 7 p.m. Valerie Smith & Liberty Pike, Ed Bruce and the Wildwood Valley Boys will also perform. Tickets are $10, available at the Hall or through www.bellbucklebanquethall.com.
