Wilf Carter (musician)
Wilfred Arthur Charles Carter (December 18, 1904[1] – December 5, 1996),[2] professionally known as Wilf Carter in his native Canada and also as Montana Slim in the United States, was a Canadian Country and Western singer, songwriter, guitarist, and yodeller. He wrote over 500 songs.[3]
Wilf Carter
Wilfred Arthur Charles Carter
Montana Slim, The Yodelling Cowboy
December 18, 1904
Port Hilford, Nova Scotia, Canada
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
December 5, 1996 (aged 91)
Scottsdale, Arizona, U.S.
- Singer
- songwriter
- musician
Vocals, guitar
1930–1992
In 1971, Wilf Carter was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.[1] Widely acknowledged as the father of Canadian country music, Carter was Canada's first country music star, inspiring a generation of young Canadian performers.[4]
Early years[edit]
Carter was born in Port Hilford, Nova Scotia, Canada.[1] One of nine children, his father was Swiss.[5] He began working odd jobs by the age of eight in Canning, Nova Scotia. He began singing after seeing a traveling Swiss performer named "The Yodelling Fool" in Canning.[1] Carter left home at the age of 15 after a falling out with his father, who was a Baptist minister.[4][6]
In 1923, at age 18, after working as a lumberjack and singing with hobos in boxcars, Carter moved west to Calgary, Alberta, where he became friends with Pete Knight and found work on the Davis ranch, near Brooks, as a cowboy.[1] (In 1979, Carter was the grand marshal at the Calgary Stampede.) He made extra money singing and playing his guitar at dances, performing for tourist parties, and traveling throughout the Canadian Rockies.[6] It was during this time that he developed his own yodelling style, sometimes called an "echo yodel" or a "three-in-one".
Recording sessions[edit]
He had a recording contract with RCA-Victor for five years (1947-1952) and then moved to Nashville where he recorded with Decca from 1954 to 1957.[8] At Decca, Carter used Owen Bradley's studio, featured a backing band that included Chet Atkins and Grady Martin.
He sold his ranch in 1949 and moved his family to a 180 acres (73 ha) farm in New Jersey.
Touring (1949–1985)[edit]
In 1949, Carter resumed live performances with tours in Canada and the United States.[1] In 1950, he attracted over 50,000 people during a week at the Canadian National Exhibition bandstand in Toronto, Ontario.
In 1953, Wilf Carter started touring with his own show called, 'The Family Show with the Folks You Know.' His daughters, Carol and Sheila, worked with him as dancers and back-up singers.[1]
In 1964, Carter performed for the first time at the Calgary Stampede.[1] He also became one of the most requested guests on the TV show hosted by Canadian country singer Tommy Hunter.
In the 1960s and 70s he toured with Hank Snow.[9]
In 1980, Country Music Queen Kitty Wells and her husband Johnnie Wright encouraged Carter to tour with them, which was billed as Carter's 80th Birthday Tour. From 1980 to 1985 he toured different parts of Canada.[10]
In 1985, Carter toured with Slim Whitman.[5]
Recordings[edit]
Wilf Carter recorded over 40 original and compilation LP records for RCA Victor including Nuggets of the Golden West, Christmas in Canada, Songs of the Rail and Range, Songs of Australia, Wilf Carter Sings Jimmie Rogers, and Let's Go Back to the Bible. In 1983, he re-recorded many of his most popular songs for Fifty Golden Years.
In 1988, Carter recorded his last album, What Ever Happened to All Those Years. In 1991, at age 86, he made his last concert tour, appropriately called 'The Last Round-up Tour', with shows throughout Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Ontario, and Manitoba. He retired the following year, due to his loss of hearing. Wilf Carter died in 1996 in Scottsdale, Arizona, 13 days before his 92nd birthday.[11]
Business[edit]
In 1952, he moved, this time to Orlando, Florida, where he opened the Wilf Carter Motor Lodge, a venture that lasted only two years.
Honours and awards[edit]
In 1971, Wilf Carter was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.[1]
He was inducted into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame in 1984, and the following year, he was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and the Juno Awards Hall of Fame.
He was made an Honorary Chief of the Stony Indian tribe.[12]
A video documentary was released in 2000, called The Last Round-up: The Wilf Carter Story, which examined Carter's distinguished career.
Legacy[edit]
He wrote hundreds of songs covering a wide range of themes, including traditional country western, cowboy, folk, and hobo songs. His recordings of "Blue Canadian Rockies" and "You Are My Sunshine" are among the most popular.[6] Fellow Canadian country artist Ian Tyson considers Carter an influence on his music.[13] Another Canadian artist, Stu Davis, acknowledged the importance of Carter's mentorship early in his career and credited him with securing Davis's first recording contract with Sonora Records in New York.