My 100 Favorite Charted Country Songs: I Don’t Love You Anymore

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A plumber is coming today to reset my water heater. I hope that’s all it is. I mean, the water heater isn’t four years old yet. Before that I’ll have lunch and annoy you with another song from my list of 100 favorite songs from the Billboard country charts. I Don’t Love You Anymore - Charlie Louvin Look who’s back! Bill Anderson!! He said he got the idea for this song from a joke that Ray Price told about one of his band members: “He’s not drinking anymore. (Long pause) Of course, he’s not drinking any less, either.” Speaking of Ray Price, in July 1963 Ira and Charlie Louvin played their last paying gig as a duo…as the opening act for Price. Ira, who had a long battle with the bottle (that he seemed to be winning when he was, ironically, killed by a drunk diver in 1965). According to Charlie, Ira threatened to quit after every drink or gig. He was in a particularly bad mood after the show with Price. Charlie decided he’d had enough. In a not-too-brotherly act, Charlie went behind Ira’s back to the Grand Ole Opry and Capitol Records to negotiate remaining as a solo artist. A couple of weeks later, after Ira had calmed down/sobered up, he called Charlie to ask when the Louvin Brothers would be on the Opry. “WE’RE not on,” Charlie replied. “I’M on at 7:30 and 10.” And that was the end of the Louvin Brothers. Nobody knew, of course, because they had records in the can that were still being released at the same time that Charlie’s first solo hit was out. I was only 5 when Ira died, but I did get to know Charlie…and I’ll tell you, he was a piece of work. At least he lived to see the Louvins inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Anyway, enjoy his first solo hit. I Don’t Love You Anymore Written by Bill Anderson Recorded by Charlie Louvin From Less and Less and I Don’t Love You Anymore, 1964 Peak chart position: #4 Today’s rock song: “It’s All in the Game” I cried as you walked out the door: