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They were the first vocal group to become country music stars, and were among the first groups to record commercially produced country music. Their first recordings were made in Bristol, Tennessee, for the Victor Talking Machine Company under producer Ralph Peer on August 1, 1927. This was the day before country singer Jimmie Rodgers made his initial recordings for Victor under Peer.


The success of the Carter Family's recordings of songs such as "Wabash Cannonball", "Can the Circle Be Unbroken", "Wildwood Flower", "Keep on the Sunny Side", and "I'm Thinking Tonight of My Blue Eyes" made these songs country standards. The melody of the last was used for Roy Acuff's "The Great Speckled Bird", Hank Thompson's "The Wild Side of Life" and Kitty Wells' "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels". The song became a hit all over again in these other incarnations.[1]


The original group consisted of Sara Carter, her husband A. P. Carter, and her sister-in-law Maybelle Carter. Maybelle was Sara's first cousin, and was married to A.P.'s brother Ezra Carter (Eck). All three were born and raised in southwest Virginia. They were immersed in the tight harmonies of mountain gospel music and shape note singing. The latter dated to the early 19th century and revivals in the South.


Throughout the group's career, Sara Carter sang lead vocals and played rhythm guitar or autoharp. Maybelle sang harmony and played lead guitar. On some songs A.P. did not perform at all; on some songs he sang harmony and background vocals, and occasionally he sang lead. Maybelle's distinctive guitar-playing style became a hallmark of the group. Her Carter Scratch (a method for playing both lead and rhythm on the guitar) has become one of the most copied styles of guitar playing.


The group (in all its incarnations, see below) recorded for a number of companies, including RCA Victor, ARC group, Columbia, Okeh and various imprint labels.[2][3][4]

Third generation[edit]

The Carter Family name was revived for a third time, under the name Carter Family III. It was a project of descendants of the original Carter Family, John Carter Cash (grandson of Maybelle Carter, son of June Carter Cash and Johnny Cash) and Dale Jett (grandson of A.P. and Sara Carter), along with John's wife Laura (Weber) Cash. They released their first album, Past & Present, in 2010.[10]


Rosie Nix Adams, daughter of June Carter Cash and her second husband, was also a semi-regular performing member of the Carter Family.


Third Generation family member Carlene Carter (granddaughter of Maybelle Carter) had ventured into pop music before becoming part of the 1987 Carter Family's second generation revival.

(1927–1944, 1952–1956)

A. P. Carter

(1927–1978)

Maybelle Carter

(1927–1944, 1952–1956, 1960–1971)

Sara Carter

(1939–1940, 1952–1956)

Janette Carter

(1939–1940, 1944–1996)

Helen Carter

(1939–1940, 1944–1969, 1971–1996)

June Carter Cash

(1939–1940, 1944–1996)

Anita Carter

(1952–1956)

Joe Carter

(2012–present)

John Carter Cash

Dale Jett (2012–present)

(1987–present)

Carlene Carter

(2012–2016)

Laura Cash

Carter, James 'Jimmy' (1978). . Government Printing Office.

Public papers of the presidents of the United States: Jimmy Carter, 1977

Among My Klediments, June Carter Cash, Grand Rapids, MI, Zondervan, 1979.  0-310-38170-3

ISBN

In the Country of Country: A Journey to the Roots of American Music, Nicholas Dawidoff, Vintage Books, 1998.  0-375-70082-X

ISBN

Will You Miss Me When I'm Gone?: The Carter Family and Their Legacy in American Music, Mark Zwonitzer with Charles Hirshberg, New York, Simon & Schuster, 2002

Country Music's First Family

The Carter Family Memorial Music Center, Inc.

The Carter Family Complete Song Texts

Carter Family Fold, Hiltons, Virginia

Archived 2011-10-06 at the Wayback Machine

The Carter Family Discography

The Carter Family: Will the Circle be Unbroken

at the Discography of American Historical Recordings.

Carter Family recordings