The Carter Family

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The Carter Family was a country music group that performed and recorded between 1927 and 1943. Their music had a profound impact on later bluegrass, country, pop and rock musicians, as well as on the U.S. folk revival of the 1960s.

The original group consisted of Alvin Pleasant Delaney Carter (A.P.; 1891-1960), his wife, Sara Dougherty Carter (autoharp and guitar; 1898-1979), and Maybelle Addington Carter (guitar; 1909-1978). Maybelle Carter (later popularly known as Mother Maybelle Carter) was married to A.P.’s brother Ezra (Eck) Carter. All three were born and raised in southwestern Virginia where they were immersed in the tight harmonies of mountain gospel music and shape note singing. Maybelle Carter’s distinctive and innovative guitar playing style quickly became a hallmark of the group.

The Carters got their start on July 31, 1927 when A.P. convinced Sara and Maybelle (pregnant at the time) to make the journey from Maces Springs, Virginia to Bristol, Tennessee to audition for record producer Ralph Peer who was seeking new talent for the relatively embryonic recording industry. They received $50 for each song they recorded.

In the Fall of 1927 the Victor recording company released a double-sided 78 rpm record of the group performing “Wandering Boy” and “Poor Orphan Child”. In 1928 another record was released with “The Storms Are on the Ocean” and “Single Girl, Married Girl”. This one proved very popular.

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country, folk, bluegrass, americana, old-timey
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In the Shadow of Clinch Mountain
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Wildwood Flower
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The Best Of The Carter Family
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Can the Circle Be Unbroken
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Top Tracks

1	Wildwood Flower full track	163
2	John Hardy Was a Desperate Little Man full track	142
3	Keep on the Sunny Side full track	108
4	Single Girl, Married Girl full track	100
5	Engine 143 full track	86
6	Little Moses full track	83
7	Bury Me Under the Weeping Willow	69
7	River of Jordan full track	69
9	Worried Man Blues	67
10	I'm Thinking Tonight of My Blue Eyes	58
11	My Clinch Mountain Home	53
12	Chewing Gum full track	49
13	The Storms Are on the Ocean	47
14	The Wandering Boy	38
15	Hello Stranger full track	36

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strajnic wrote:
Thursday afternoon

Eternal music!

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SergioG33 wrote:
November 2009

If you're a fan of female country please join my new group The Divas of Country!!

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Citizen_Bell wrote:
November 2009

Every time I ride Six and Fourth Street car, Oh every time I ride Six and Fourth Street car, I can see my baby peeping through the bars

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gabethevegan wrote:
October 2009

Lovely to see Wildwood Flower as top played track,Definately their best ,my fave country/folk/roots whatever you want to call it track of all time for me one of the foundation tracks of American and European Popular Music.I also love The version By the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band,with Maybelle at her warbling best.But the Carters are a Towering Presence. Maybelle's picking,Sarah's Voice is astounding and the great AP's contribution should never be forgotten..I highly recommend a book on them i recently read(this is not a plug)"will you miss me when i'm gone"by Zwoniter and Hirshberg I think the Wabash Cannon should be higher,not sure John Hardy was a ....deserves 2nd place but hey they hardly made a bad song...as an earlier shout said..Where indeed would we be without the Carter Family?Magnicent!

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fenrirsghost wrote:
June 2009

The Carter Family was one of the best! Johnny Cash had some roots here too.

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bigfanofmusic wrote:
April 2009

The Carter Family and many more classic country artists are found right here Country from the 50s & 60s. The best music ever! Join if you want.

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johntardsbaby66 wrote:
April 2009

modern country needs to be stabbed though

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johntardsbaby66 wrote:
April 2009

super awesome

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SweetMelissa12 wrote:
March 2009

Feel free to check out and join the Country Artist of the Week group. Members can vote for their favorite country artists to be the group's "Country Artist of the Week".

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gorbatov2002 wrote:
March 2009

http://koncertagency.ether.tv == == ЗОЛОТАЯ КОЛЛЕКЦИЯ ЭТНО-КЛИПОВ 50-ТИ НАЦИЙ МИРА ПЕРВОЕ ЭТНО-ТЕЛЕВИДЕНИЕ ИНЕТА! Телеканал этно-шоу «Живая коллекция» продюсера Андрея Горбатова – круглосуточное вещание этно-программ Мира! Вход на интерфейс вещания: http://koncertagency.ether.tv наслаждайтесь просмотром мировой этники!

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cruz3 wrote:
March 2009

ME ENCANTAN THE FAMILY CARTER !!!!!!! NO ME CANSARIA DE ESCUCHARLOS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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jimmyanita wrote:
January 2009

Wonderful! a great foundation

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CWCotts wrote:
December 2008

Where would we be without the Carter Family?

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inoppor_tune wrote:
December 2008

I don't like modern country music, and I usually listen to punk and alternative. But I love love love appalachian and folk music. The Carter Family are amazing and definitely iconic american music.

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Leuchtenburg1 wrote:
October 2008

das gewisse etwas

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liss3003 wrote:
October 2008

haha.. ive got 5 of their cds to burn for my grandpa.. definately not my type of music..

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rossfletcher58 wrote:
August 2008

maybelle is quite the guitar player! you hear her in everybody who plays an acoustic... if that L 5 could talk...

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JockMcGrumpy wrote:
August 2008

Fine old time stuff tho I prefer their brother Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine maself. Aye.

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Metalstain wrote:
August 2008

no comment ;( ;(:( :)

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DrexelNavyPhil wrote:
June 2008

Just discovered them, easily one of my favorite artists now!

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