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Carter Family

Overview[]

The Carter Family are one of the most famous names in pre-war folk and Country music. They have been active in some form or another for more than 70 years. This article focuses on the original Carter Family group that was together from c. 1927~1940.

Biography[]

The original Carter Family was A.P. Carter, his wife Sara Carter, and her cousin Maybelle Carter. A.P. wrote, collected, arranged the songs and played guitar, Maybelle played Guitar, and Sara played either the Autoharp or the Guitar. They were from Maces Spring, VA. They got discovered August, 1927 by a scout from Victor named Ralph Peer when they came to audition in Bristol, Tennessee. In 1938 they started broadcasting on Radio stations XERA, XEG, and XENT on the Texas\Mexico border. These stations were out of U.S. jurisdiction, so there weren't any restrictions on the signal strength, these stations could be heard throughout the south. By c. 1940, A.P. and Sara had had a divorce, and the original group stopped performing.

Albums Featured[]

Note: Over the years, many Carter Family compilations have been released, because of this, this may not be a complete list.

  • The Anthology Of American Folk Music
  • The Best Of The Carter Family
  • Wildwood Flower (album)
  • The Very Best Of The Carter Family
  • The Carter Family 1927-1934
  • Greatest Hits 1927-1934
  • Keep On The Sunny Side (album)
  • Anchored In Love (album)
  • In The Shadow Of Clinch Mountain (album)
  • Famous Country Music Makers
  • Country Music Legends: The Carter Family
  • Can The Circle Be Unbroken? (album)
  • RCA Country Legends: The Carter Family
  • The Country Music Hall Of Fame: The Carter Family
  • Folk Classics
  • The Acme Sessions
  • 20th Century Masters: The Carter Family
  • Country By The Carter Family
  • On Border Radio
  • Diamonds In The Rough (album)
  • Bluegrass Legends
  • The Appalachians
  • The Carter Family Volume 2
  • My Clinch Mountain Home (album)
  • Clinch Mountain Treasures
  • Last Sessions (carter family)
  • When The Roses Bloom In Dixieland (album)
  • The Original And Great Carter Family
  • From 1936 Radio Transcripts
  • Give Me The Roses While I Live (album)
  • Longing For Old Virginia (album)
  • The Decca Sessions
  • More Golden Gems From The Original Carter Family
  • Country Folk (album)
  • Sunshine In The Shadows (album)
  • Great Original Recordings By The Carter Family
  • The Famous Carter Family
  • Home Among The Hills (album)
  • Worried Man Blues (album)
  • The Carter Family (album)
  • The Best Of The Best Of The Carter Family
  • Country And Folk Roots
  • The Country Music Hall Of Fame: 1970
  • Early Country Radio
  • The Carter Family Together
  • Lonesome Pine Special (album)
  • The Carter Family Album
  • Will You Remember Me? (album)
  • First Families Of Country
  • Class Family Of Country
  • The Happiest Days Of All (album)
  • The Original Carter Family In Texas
  • Country Favorites (carter family)
  • Country Hit Parade (carter family
  • Gospel: The Life, Times, & Music
  • No Depression (album)
  • The Apostle (album)
  • Gold Watch And Chain (album
  • Vintage Country And Western
  • Welcome To Music City, U.S.A.
  • Old-Time Family Religion
  • Wagon Wheels (album)
  • My Old Cottage Home (album)
  • My Time Ain't Long (album)
  • Clinch Mountain Ballads
  • First Family Of Country
  • The Carter Family Compilation
  • Country Slide
  • Mountains And The Valleys Of Kentucky
  • Folk: The Life, Times, & Music
  • I Ain't Gonna Work Tomorrow (album)
  • 'Mid The Green Fields Of Virginia (album)
  • The Carter Family Vol. 1
  • Wings Of Angles
  • Country Music: South And West
  • The Collection Of Favorites (carter family)
  • The Carter Family Collection
  • Joy To The World (album)
  • Johnny Cash & The Gospel Road
  • Country Roots
  • Black Diamond Express Train To Hell
  • Prayers From Hell

Original Discography[]

Note: The Carter Family recorded literally hundreds of 78s. Because of this, the list may not be complete.

  • Amber Tresses
  • Birds Were Singin' Of You
  • Broken Hearted Lover
  • Carter's Blues
  • Church In The Wildwood
  • Darling Nellie Across The Sea
  • Dying Soldier
  • Fond Affection
  • Give Me Some Roses While I Live (song)
  • Gold Watch And Chain (song)
  • Happiest Day Of All (song)
  • I Can't Feel At Home
  • I Have Never Loved But Once In My Life
  • I Loved You Better Than You Knew
  • I Wouldn't Mind Dying
  • If One Won't The Other Will
  • Jimmie Brown The Newsboy
  • Let The Church Roll On
  • Lonesome For You
  • Lonesome Pine Special (song)
  • Lonesome Valley
  • Meet Me In The Moonlight, Alone
  • 'Mid The Green Fields Of Virginia (song)
  • Motherless Children
  • My Old Cottage Home (song)
  • No More The Sun Shines On Lorena
  • On The Rock Where Moses Stood
  • On The Sea Of Galilee
  • Picture On The Wall
  • Room In Heaven For Me
  • See That My Grave Is Kept Clean
  • Sow 'em On The Mountain
  • Sunshine In The Shadows (song)
  • Sweet As The Flowers In May Time
  • Tell Me That You Love Me
  • The Spirit Of Love Watches Over Me
  • The Sun Of My Soul
  • There Is Someone Waiting For Me
  • This Is Like Heaven To Me]
  • Two Sweethearts
  • Wabash Cannon Ball
  • We Will March Through The Streets Of The City
  • Weary Prodigal Son
  • When I'm Gone
  • Where Shall I Be?
  • Where We'll Never Grow Old
  • Will The Roses Bloom In Heaven?
  • Winding Stream
  • Blood That Stained The Old Rugged Cross
  • Gethsemene
  • Anchored In Love (song)
  • Answer To Weeping Willow
  • Are You Lonesome Tonight?
  • Are You Tired Of Me, My Darling?
  • Away Out On The Old Sabbath
  • Bear Creek Blues
  • Beautiful Home
  • Behind Those Stone Walls
  • Better Let Liar Alone
  • Birds Were Singing Of You
  • Black Jack David
  • Blackie's Gunman
  • Bonnie Blue Eyes
  • Bring Back Blue Eyed Boy
  • Bring Back My Blue Eyed Boy To Me
  • Bring Back My Boy
  • Broken Down Tramp
  • Buddies In The Saddle
  • Bury Me Under The Weeping Willow
  • By The Touch Of Her Hand
  • Can The Circle Be Unbroken? (song)
  • Cannon Ball Blues
  • Charlie And Nellie
  • Coal Miner's Blues
  • Cowboy Jack
  • Cowboy's Wild Song To The Herd
  • Cuban Soldier
  • Cyclone Of Rycove
  • Dark And Stormy Weather
  • Dark Haired True Lover
  • Darling Daisies
  • Diamonds In The Rough (song)
  • Distant Land To Roam
  • Don't Forget Me Little Darling
  • Don't Forget This Song
  • East Virginia Blues
  • East Virginia Blues #2
  • Engine 143
  • Evening Bells Are Ringing
  • Faded Coat Of Blue
  • Farewell Nellie
  • Fifty Miles Of Elbow Room
  • Foggy Mountain Top
  • Fond Affection
  • Forsaken Love
  • Funny When You Feel That Way
  • Gathering Flowers From The Hillside
  • Girl On Green Briar Shore
  • Give Him One More As He Goes
  • Give Me Your Love
  • Glory To The Lamb
  • Glory To The Lord
  • God Gave Noah The Rainbow Sign
  • Goodbye To The Plains
  • Gospel Ship (song)
  • Grave On The Green Hillside
  • Happy In Prison
  • Happy Or Lonesome
  • He Never Came Back
  • He Took A White Rose From Her Hair
  • Heart That Was Broken For Me
  • Heaven's Radio
  • Hello Central, Give Me Heaven
  • Hello Stranger
  • Hold Fast To The Right
  • Homestead On The Farm
  • Honey In The Rock
  • I Ain't Gonna Work Tomorrow (song)
  • I Found You Among The Roses
  • I Have No One To Love Me
  • I Never Will Marry
  • I'll Be All Smiles Tonight
  • I'll Be Home Some Day
  • I'll Never Forsake You
  • I'm Thinkin' Tonight Of My Blue Eyes
  • I'm Thinking Tonight Of Two Blue Eyes
  • I'm Working On The Building
  • In A Little Village Churchyard
  • In The Shadow Of Clinch Mountain (song)
  • In The Shadow Of The Pines
  • In The Valley Of Shenandoah
  • It Is Better Farther On
  • It'll Aggravate Your Soul
  • It's A Long, Long Road To Travel Alone
  • Jealous Hearted Me
  • Jim Blake's Message
  • John Hardy Was A Desperate Little Man
  • John Hardy Was A Desperate Man
  • Just A Few More Days
  • Just Another Broken Heart
  • Keep On The Firing Line
  • Keep On The Sunny Side (song)
  • Kissing Is A Crime
  • Kitty Waltz
  • Lay My Head Beneath The Rose
  • Let's Be Lovers Again
  • Little Darling Pal Of Mine
  • Little Girl Who Played On My Knee
  • Little Joe
  • Little Log Cabin By The Sea
  • Little Log Hut In The Lane
  • Little Moses
  • Little Poplar Log House On The Hill
  • Lonesome For You Darling
  • Longing For Old Virginia (song)
  • Look Away From The Cross
  • Look Away From The Ocean
  • Look How This World Has Made A Change
  • Lord I'm In Your Care
  • Love, Oh Crazy Love
  • Lover's Farewell
  • Lover's Lane
  • Lulu Wall
  • Lulu Walls
  • March Winds Goin' To Blow My Blues All Away
  • Meet Me By The Moonlight Alone
  • Meeting In The Air
  • Mountains Of Tennessee
  • My Clinch Mountain Home (song)
  • My Destiny
  • My Dixie Darling
  • My Heart's Tonight In Texas
  • My Home Across Blueridge Mountains
  • My Home Among The Hills
  • My Honey Lou
  • My Native Home
  • My Old Virginia Home
  • My Texas Girl
  • Never Let The Devil Get The Upper Hand
  • No Depression In Heaven
  • No Other's Bride I'll Be
  • Oh Take Me Back
  • On A Hill Lone And Grey
  • On My Way To Canaan's Land
  • On The Rock Where Moses Stood
  • One Little Word
  • Only Girl I Ever Cared About
  • Reckless Motorman
  • River Of Jordan
  • Sad And Lonesome Day
  • Sailor Boy
  • Sea Of Galilee
  • Single Girl, Married Girl
  • Sinking In The Lonesome Sea
  • Something Got Hold Of Me
  • St. Regious Girl
  • Stern Old Bachelor
  • Storms Are On The Ocean
  • Sweet Fern
  • Sweet Heaven In My View
  • Tell Me That You Love Me
  • The Cannon Ball
  • The Dying Mother
  • The Fate Of Dewey Lee
  • The Homestead On The Farm
  • The Last Move For Me
  • The Little Black Train
  • The Lover's Return
  • The Wayworn Traveller
  • There'll Be Joy Joy Joy
  • There'll Be No Distinction There
  • There's No Hiding Place Down Here
  • There's No One Like Mother To Me
  • There's No Telephone In Heaven
  • They Call Her Mother
  • Times A-Wastin'
  • Two Sweethearts
  • Walking On The King's Highway
  • We Shall Rise
  • We Will March Through The Streets Of The City
  • Well I Guess I Told You Off
  • Western Hobo
  • When Silver Threads Are Gold Again
  • When The Roses Bloom In Dixie
  • When The Springtime Comes Again
  • When The World's On Fire
  • When This Evening Sun Goes Down
  • Where The Silvery Colorado Wends Its Way
  • Who's That Knockin' At My Window?
  • Wildwood Flower (song)
  • Will You Miss Me When I'm Gone? (song)
  • Worried Man Blues (song)
  • You Are My Flower
  • You Denied Your Love
  • You've Been A Friend To Me
  • You've Done Foolin' Me Baby
  • You've Got To Righten That Wrong
  • Young Freda Bolt
  • Your Mother Still Prays For You
  • Your Mother Still Prays For You, Jack
  • Your Nothing More To Me
  • Carter Family & Jimmie Rodgers In Texas
  • That Wonderful City
  • Why There's A Tear In My Eye

Related Articles[]

  • Jimmie Rodgers
  • Vernon Dalhart
  • Carl Smith
  • Johnny Cash
  • Leslie Riddle
  • Folk Revival
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