Book excerpt: For many appreciators the essence of country music is harmony singing. Country harmony, for most of these, is synonymous with the blended voices of Ira and Charles Louvin. The Louvin Brothers, for sure, have influenced almost all revered rock-and-roll singers and country singers, from the Everly Brothers to Emmylou Harris. Until now there has been no full-length book about their remarkable career and their rich, complex music. In Close Harmony provides a detailed portrait of the Louvins and the turbulent country-music world of the 1950s.