CoN TRIuut totts -to Sou l Hf.RNAPnALACI{IAN 51 ul)lt.s 7. Mernoirsof Grassl C)ruk: The Bristol Sessions Grot,ing [/p in th ]l(ountains on thc l"irginio North Cnrolina Linc Zctta RarkcrHamby. 1997

2. Tlte Pod Mountait Chroniclc: Sel.flPortraitof a SouthernAppalnchian CoununitT- WritingsAbout Leland R. Coopet and Mery Lce (ioopet 1997 3. Tiaditional Musiciansoftbc Central BIuc Ridgz: the Big Bang Old Tine, Farly Countl, folk and BluegrassLaful RercrdingArtists, tuith Discographies. Marty Mc(iee. 2000 of CountrytMusic 4. lYlR. Trivttt, Appalathian Pichtrtman: PhotograPhsofa Blgone Time. RalphE. Lentz.200l Edited by 5. Thc tuoPh of the Neu Riuer: CHnRr_esK. \X/or_pp, Oral Ilistories from tht Ashc, Allcghanl and and Vatauga Countiesof North Carolina. TEo Or.soN Leland R. Coopcr and Mary l-eeCooper. 2001

6. /ohn Fox,Jr., AppalachianAuthor. Bill York. 2003 'f() CONtntntrt'toNs SOLrI'ur.nXArper,tr:rrr.rN S r.r'D11.s.l] 7. T'hc I'histlc nnd thc Erier: I{iscoricalLinks anr! Cultural ParallelsBent'een Scotlttd atd . RichardBlarrstein. 2003 8. Tltlesfom Saned Vhnd; Coming of Age in Appnlachia. l-hc Cratis lVilliams Chronicles CrarisD. Villiams. 200J

9. \Villard Gayhcart,Appalachian Artist. Willard Gayheartand Donia S' Eley.2003

lo. The Forest Citl Lynching of 1900: Populism,Radsm, and l{hirc Stpremuy in Rutbtford County, Noth Carolina J. Timothy Cole. 2003 ll. The BreuardRoscnwal/ Srhoot: Black F'dcuntionand Communiry Building in a SouthernAppalachian Tban, 1920-1966 BettYJamerson Reed. 2004 12. Thc Bristol Sessions: WritingsAbout the Big Bag of Ediredby CharlcsK. Volfe and led Olson'2005

arr ffi McFarlanclc\ Cornpany,h.rc., publishe rs [efferson,North Carolina,ind Lon,lon 5. The (Doman) 67

them to buy records from the victor company. A. p. carrer's ability to reworksongs gave the carrers a vasr rep!rroireof fresh marerial to sing, but this modified material also appealedto Peerbecause it createdopportunities for copyrighting and publishing. An examination of the carter Family s Bris- tol sessionsrecordings, which managedto be simultaneouslyold-fashioned and innovative, revealshow the Carters served as a bridge berween folk music and a newly developingcommercial "hillbilly music" business.These record- SomethingOld, Something ings demonstrarethe group's ability to retain the best of rhe old tradition, 5. while reshapingit into such a freshand appealingform that the carter Fam- New: The Carter Family's ily'smaterial sdll proves relevanrand even irresistibleto present-dayarrisrs. An investigationinto the background of eachof the memberswill help Bristol SessionsRecordings illuminate the origins of the carter Family'smusic, due ro the fact rhar their socialand cultural background heavily influenced both their repertoire and. their imagesas performers. As Michael orgill observesin his 1975 biogra- phy of the Carters,Anchored in Loae: The Carter Familt Story,,,The Carter Katie Doman Familyparticipared i. [th. rwentieth] century'sinitial expansionof the enter- tainment media, but ... their arr was the product of an essentiallyself-con- tained and self-nurturing tradition. For them, the cradle of this tradition wasrheir clinch Mountain home."1All three of rhe carters grew up in The Carter Family has becomesuch an icon of country music that tt ts scott county, virginia, where the Appalachian musical tradition hard for twenty-first century fans to imagine a time before A. P., Sara, and thrived. unde- niably the infrastructure of the carter Family's were famous. However, when they arrived in Bristol in1927 music, the folk and gospel traditionsof the mounrains infuenced and appearedfor their audition with ,the three musiciansbegan each of the three musiciansand infusedtheir repertoire of songs,which on an equal footing with the other acts signed up for a chanceat fame and according ro Janettecarter, daugh- ter of A. P. and Sara,eventually numbered around 300.2 fortune. Like virtually everyone elseat the recordingsessions in Bristol (other The oldest of the three original carter Family members, Alvin pleas- than ErnestStoneman and the JohnsonBrothers), the Carterswere unknown. anr carter, was born in 1891inro a musical family. His farher Bob carter But two of the acts- The Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers- emergedas wasa 6ddler, and Mollie BaysCarter, A. P.'smorher, loved ro country music stars. During his career,Rodgers sang about traveling, and sing borh rra- ditional and religioussongs. Mollie was an especiallysrrong infue-.ce travel he did, building a reputation for living the wild life. The Carters, on on her son. In their 2002 biography of the carter Family, \vill you Miss Me tilhen the other hand, aiwayskept their focus on subjectssuitable for family and Irn Gone: The carter Family and rheir Legacy in American Music, Mark home, singing songs that were morally and spiritually instructive or w!re Zwonitzerand charles Hirschbergwrite that 'while shewent about her daily derived from the old ballad tradition. chores,Mollie would sing the hy-nr she loved best" and thar "she also sang In the Carter Family's Bristol sessionsrecordings, one can easily iden- traditional ballads,known fro her] as 'English' songsbecause the form - if tify the reasonsfor their success.They took old-fashioned, familiar songs not the songs themselves- had crossedthe Atlantic with the English and and themes and turned them into new material - and though their har- Scotch-Irishwho settled the southern mounrains."3 These traditional and moniesand instrumentationwere groundedfirmly in Appalachianfolk music, religioussongs, learned by A. P early in his life and reworked larer to suit they took that tradition in new directions. It was their distinctive Carter the trio's voices and insrruments, formed the basis of the carter Family's sound-based firmly on Sara and Maybelle's lead vocals,A. P's basshar- repertoireof hits. mony, and Maybelle'sguitar work - that appealedto audiencesand induced Both A. P and his brotherJames could play the fiddle, thoughA. p. wasthe be trer musicien. zwonitzerand Hirschberg notethat A. p had a "sup- 66 feeling"for playingand that "if he hearda newsong, he couldg.n.r"liy 68 PenrII: Tur BnrsrolSrssroNs 5. The Carter FamiQ (Doman) 69 chord it out on the fiddle by the end of the day."aBut A. P.seldom choseto therewhile I sang... and then he saidsomething like, "Ma am, that was play in public, perhaps because"from the day he was born to the day he mighty pretty playingand singing,and I surewould like you to play that againfor me," and so I did.e died, [A. P] was possessedof a slight tremor, most noticeablein his hands," which meant that he could "barely keep his bow steady."5Interestingly, at the same time that his tremor detracted from his playing, it added some- A. P. was spellbound, and for about a year he courted her relentlessly.She thing to his singing. It "gavehim what the locals called a'tear"' in his voice, wasreluctant to marry, but he persisted,and on June 18,1915, Sara Dougherty and it "embroidered his singing with an almost otherworldly tenderness."6 becameSara Carter. "For the next ten years,"\7olfe reports, 'A. P. and Sara This "tear" is definitely audible in the Carters' Bristol sessionsrecordings of honed their skills at singing together."10 August lsr, 1927,especially on the songs on which A. P. sings harmony to Although they becamefamous only after teaming up with Sara'scousin SaraCarter's lead. Maybelle (who was alsoA. P's sister-in-law through Maybelle'smarriage to Fiddle tunes and the ballad tradition were not the only early influences his brother, Ezra Carter), A. P and Saramade a stab at recording commer- on A. P.Carter. Mollie and her largebrood were steadfastmembers of Mount cially beforethey enjoyedsuccess at the Bristol sessions.According to Wolfe, Vernon Methodist Church. The church offered its members the opportu- the couple sangfor the Brunswick Record Company as a duo in 1926.They nity to pray together, attend serviceseach Sunday, and worship together performed 'Anchored in Love," accompaniedby Saraon the autoharp. The through music. As musical director of the church, A. P.'sUncle Flanderswas representativefrom Brunswick, JamesO'Keefe, decided that the recording in charge of putting together the church quartet. A. P. sang bassfor the equipmentdid not pick up the sound of the autoharpwell enough.After hav- group. Flandersalso taught shapenote singing acrossthe region, using mate- ing them sing with a pianist instead,O'Keefe-who knew that A. P could rial developedby JamesD. Vaughan, "a publisher whose close-harmonizing play the fiddle - decided againstrecording a vocal duet. He wanted instead gospel quartets were the new musical sensationof southern choirs."7 The "a good southern fiddler, somebodywho could compete with Doc Roberts gospelmusic that A. P.learned as part of the church choir and in shapenote on the Gennett label."ttAlthough A. P had his first record deal at hand, he 'Sfolfe singing schoolswould later play a vital role in shaping the sound and reper- decided against trying to fiddle his way to fame. notes that he may toire of the Carter Family's music. have decided against it becauseso many of his friends and family still con- Marriage transformed A. P.Carter's music. He was traveling acrossthe sideredthe fiddle "the Devil's box," and A. P wasdisinclined to make waves.r2 county sellingfruit treesfor a living when he stoppedat the home of Melinda (Certainly, this fits with the Carters' personalities;even after achievingsuc- and Milburn Nickels on Copper Creek. The Nickels were raisingtheir niece, cess,they kept their showsand their image clean, advertisingtheir concerts SaraDougherty, whose mother had died when Sarawas a tiny child. Charles with postersthat made a clearannouncement to fans: "This show is morally Volfe, who has written extensivelyon the lives and music of the Carters, good.") Zwonitzer and Hirschbergoffer two additional possibilitiesfor A. P's notes that Copper Creek offered no dearth of musical opportunities for the hesitationto sign a record deal with Brunswick. They suggestthat he may young girl; it was there that Saradeveloped an ability to play the banjo, the have been concernedabout the tremble in his hands, which rendered him guitar, and the autoharp. As Volfe explains, "She had learned to play [the insecure about his fiddling. They also recount O'Keefe's comment that autoharpJ from a relative ... and ordered her first model from the pagesof "women just didn't take the lead in combos, exceptmaybe in race records,"l3 SearsRoebuck."8 suggestingthat the Brunswick representativewas not progressiveenough to The autoharp and Sara'slead singing would prove significant in the sign a duo that featured a femalelead singer. But A. P seemedto think that Bristol recordings that launched the Carters' musical career, but in 1914, his wife's voice was as important to their successas his own, so the couple Sarahwas a teenagerwith a beautiful but untrained voice. That voice, which went home to MacesSpring. The Brunswick experiencedisappointed them - later garneredso much critical praise,caused A. P.Carter to fall in love with especiallyA. P - but the Carterskept playing music, and in the time beween Sara Dougherty before he even saw her. Zwonitzer and Hirschberg offer their first attempt at recordingand their Bristol meetingwith Ralph Peer,the Sara'sown account of her first meeting with her future husband: couple added a key element in their eventualsuccess: Maybelle Carter. Maybelle Addington Carter was Sara'sfirst cousin; their mothers wer! I rememberI wassinging "Engine 143," an old songI learnedas a little sisters.Maybelle was younger than Saraby more than a decade,but she had girl, and this fellowknocked on the door.... I rememberthat he stood been born on Copper Creek while Sara still lived there, and the rwo girls 70 Panr II: Tsn BRrsrorSrssroNs 5. The Carter Family (Doman) 7r knew each other. Maybelle was gregarious,sweer-narured and prerty, with ample opportunity for the three musiciansto practice. Soon, the three were startling blue eyesand a talent for music. Like Sara, Maybelle had oppor- working diligendy on their songsand musical arrangements. tunities in Copper Creek to learn to play instruments,and as a child she Askedhow her parentsand Maybelle worked togetherduring rehearsals, could play both banjo and autoharp. By the time she was 13, Maybelle was JanemeCarter, daughter of Saraand A. P., remembersthat "theyd sit and also playing the guitar. As Charles\7olfe tells it, she "had a litde mail-order talk about it. Mommy and Maybelle would figure out the music leads- any- Stella and was trying to figure out how to play a little melody on it as she way, Maybelle would figure it out on the guitar."2rAccording to Janette,her kept time"ra parentsand aunt knew that the songshad to "follow a pattern."22Generally, By Maybelle'sown account, no one could have preventedher from songswere laid out in a "verse-chorus-instrumental-verse-chorus-instru- learninghow to play. "I haveloved music all my life," shestated, "I guessI mental-verse"order.23 Ballads were reworked into shorter piecescontaining wasjust born that way."t5She once outlined her earlyexperiences: fewer specificdetails; only the most essentialthemes were left intact. This was usually A. P.'spart of the process,and then the women took their turn: My sisterused to play the ban.iosome; my motherwould play banjo,and to make the song complete, "theyd work music leadsin."2a I would pull the autoharpdown off the tableto the floor and try to play The Carterscooperated on their music from the very beginning of their it.... I playedthe banjotoo when I wasa kid, and me and my brothers career together. Ralph Blizard credited the Carters' ability to make good usedto play for squaredances... and then when I wasabout twelve or He noted that the best thirteenone of my olderbrothers gave me a guitar and I startedtrying music to their adherenceto Appalachian tradition. differentways to pick it, and cameup with my own style,because there oid-time music groups have alwaysrecognized each member'sstrengths. weren'tmany guitar pickers around.16 "'Within any group, you haveindividuals that come through as lead singers, and the others play and sing their parts. That's just a natural thing. W'hen Like A. P. and Sara,Maybelle encounteredballads and religious music a group getstogether, they work out their songsor tunesand ... they work early in life. Her mother, Margaret Addington, taught her the traditional out their parts, and they areprofessional enough to know who's coming over Appalachian ballads rhat had been passeddown from generationto genera- the best with [each] particular thing."z: According to Blizard, the Carters tion,.and she also encouraged Maybelle to learn the gospelsongs sung by w!re aware of each member's special talents, and they worked hard to use 'Women's the Chorus at the Fair Oak Methodist Church.rTMost certainly, them to best advantagein each number they arranged. Maybelle was influenced by Appalachian community gatherings,during Saraand A. P.'sgranddaughter, Rita Forrester,agrees that the original which Copper Creek folks came together for fun, exchangingsongs and Carter Family members had a knack for knowing how to take advantageof playing fiddle music well into rhe night. individual talents.Asked about what she seesas the individual strengthsof Old-time long-bow fiddler and,2002 National Heritage Award Fellow eachmember, Forrestercomments first on what initially caught A. P's atten- Ralph Blizard, a native of Kingsport, ,knew the Carters, and he tion - and during the Brisrol sessions,Ralph Peer's: often performed at the , a music venue at the site of A. P Carter'sstore, near Hiltons, Virginia. Blizard confirmed that Maybelle's \7ell, of course,my grandmother'svoice. I think that'swhat Mr. Peer guitar style "just developedindividually with her" and added that "shewas would sayconvinced him to recordthem. Shehad that wonderful,clear, just hauntinglybeautiful voice. My granddad's were]the com- an excellentguitar player" with a "soulful feeling."rsHe acknowledgedher [strengths position,the organizationof the materialthey sang, and that wonderful musical ancestry,saying that "her brother, Doc Addington, was a guitar bassvoice. You know,he rarelygot in front of the mike or did.anything player,but he playeda different style from what Maybelle played.Completely but what he called"bass in," but if you listento the songsthat he did different."reMaybelle learned the basicsof instrument playing from her solo,his voiceis everybit asbeautiful as my grandmother's.He just let friends and family, but her innate talent gave her the ability to innovate- the ladiestake the forefront,and he didnt mind that.... And then May- first on the guitar and later on the autoharp; her innovation on her chosen belle,of course- herwonderfirl instrumentals. And her alto voice.And instruments was key to the successof the Carter Family. the harmony,the beautifulharmony.26 At 16 yearsof age, Maybelle eloped with A. P.'syounger brother, Ezra Carter. The couple spent the first months of their married life in Mollie and Forresteralso notesthat A. P Carter was the driving force behind the band.27 Bob Carter's home.2oMaybelle's new proximity ro A. P. and Sara allowed "The ladies just wanted to go home and take care of their babies," she 72 PanrII: THr BnrsrorSEssloNs 5. The Carter Family (Doman) 73

explains, "They didn't \Women want to [travel and singJ. didn't do that made later in their career.\7hen the trio's successearned them a nationally then"'28Forrester remains convinced that it was her grandfather'sbelief in broadcastedspot on XERA radio in Mexico during the late 1930s,they the talent of rhe women and his abiliry to talk them into performing that acceptedthe deal only becauseit allowed them rime to attend to their fam- 6rst gavethe carter Family a break in Bristol, and rhat kept them going after- ilies and farms. They traveled to Texasto do the show for six months, and wards. then went baik home to Macesspring for the other six monrhs to lead a rel- Mary A. Bufwack and Robert Oermann, in their book Finding Her arively normal family life and manage their farms. \7hen they did go ro Voice:The Saga rYomen of in Country Music, suggestthat A. P "domineered" Texas,they often took their children with them. Their show,therefore, some- the women, choosing performancevenues that brought in lessmoney than timesincluded other membersof the family,adding to the show'sappeal and "wider the show-businessworld of country radio barn dancesor vaudeville keeping it within the Carters' "morally good" comfort zone. bills."2eThe scholars "in claim thar, rerospect, rhe wvo women could have Anyone listening to their recordingscan hear that the Cartersgenuinely probably done aswell without him were it nor for constrainrsagainst unchap- enjoyed singing together during rhose early years.In rhe summer of 1927, eroned "Domineerin country women at that rime."30 g" may be too srrong a though, only A. P. had a real yearning to try recording again. Distinguished word to characterizeA. P.'spower over his rwo female musical partners. A by three fine voices (Sara'simpressive contralto, A. P.'strembling bass,and number of sources credit the women with having plenty of input into the Maybelle'salto) aswell as Maybelle'sguitar leads,the Carrer Family packed group's activities. Additionally, there were times when one of them simply their borrowed car with instruments and children and headedfor Bristol to chosenot to appearfor a performance, necessitatingthat A. P.ask his sister meet Ralph Peer.A. P. had seenan advertisemenrin rhe Brisrol paper srar- Sylvia or another family member to fill in. As for Bufwack and Oermann's ing that: "The Victor Co. will have a recording machine in Brisrol for l0 supposition that the carter women could have been performerswithout daysbeginning Monday to recordrecords - Inquire ar our Srore."3a Inquire A. P, if not for him, Saraand Maybellewould not havebeen recordingin A. P did, and he learnedfrom Cecil Mclister, a local furniture sroreowner, the first place. As reluctant as they sometimes were ro travel, the Carter that Peerhad "askedfMcl-ister] ro pur the word out and line up some music women enjoyed singing- not ro mention the fact that they usually needed actsPeer could audition in Bristol."35A. P.,trying to talk his wife into mak- the money that it brought in, especiallyin the early days of their singing ing the trip to the nearby city, told Sara that they would earn 6fty dollars career.As explains, "They were just trying to make a living, for eachside they recorded-no small sum in thosedays. The immenently and [singing] was a lor easierrhan trying to farm. And they never did make practical Sarawas unconvinced. 'Ain't nobody gonna pay rhat much money but a very, very little amounr of money. But they made more than they was to hear us sing," she told him.36But A. P was resolute,and even convinced a-making with [farming]."31 Maybelle, who was about a monrh from delivering her 6rst child, to travel The Carter women had a voice in choosing the types of shows the with them to participate in the Victor sessions. Carter Family would perform. Saraand Maybelle, who were church-going, The Carters arrived in Bristol on the last day of July 1927, tired after family-oriented women, surely balked at performing in rhe kinds of venues their grueling trip. The roads had been hor and bumpy, and A. P had had that Jimmie Rodgersfavored. And A. P, alsodeeply religiousand concerned to fix severalfat tires along the way. They were stayingwirh Virgie and Roy "morally with keeping the group's shows good," probably had no desire to Hobbs-A. P.'ssister and her husband-who lived in Bristol. Though go thar route himself. Musing on rhe Carter Familyt performanceschedule 'A. P had hoped ro rehearsethat night... the rwo women simplysaid no; "management" and her grandfather's of the group, Forresterinsists that fam- theywere offto bed."37In the morning, the threeof them made rheirway "mattered ily time most [to Maybelle and Sara].... They had their meals, to where Peer had ser up his portable recording studio and began singing their fellowship with their families- that was the important thing, and when the songsthat would make rhem famous. During their first Victor session, that suffered,they let the other go."32Forrester admits that "they probably the Carter Family recorded six songs: "Bury Me Under the \Teeping \)7il- could havedone more if they had gone our on the road like Jimmie Rodgers, low," "Little Log Cabin By the Sea,""The Poor Orphan Child," "The Storms just really hit the road, but they didn't want ro do that. And my granddaddy Are on the Ocean," "Single Girl, Married Girl," and "The \Tandering Boy." wouldni have wanted that, either. Family was always the most important Interestingly,the very aspectof the Carters' singing that the Brunswick thing to him."33 representativehad earlier noticed and rhen rejectedwas the 6rst aspectof Forrester'sopinions are supported by decisionsthat the Carter Family the Carter Family'ssound to pique Ralph Peer'sinterest. The samevoice that 74 Pnnr II: Tse Brusroi- Sp.ssroNs 5. The Carter FamiQ (Dornan) 75 had enchantedA. P back on Copper Creek immediately caught the talent Emmylou Harris, and, of course, , who married June Carter scout'sear. Peerlater claimed that "as soon as I heard Sara'svoice, that was and becameMaybelle's son-in-law. Rita Forresteradmits that "there are so it. I knew it was going to be wonderful."38It didnt altogether bother Peer many [musicianswho credit Maybelle's influence] that it's hard to remem- rhat Sara and Maybelle were the featured singersin the group - in fact, it ber who all they are. I'm sure that anybody who has ever played a guirar has made them different. Bufwack and Oermann note that "Saraand Maybelle's usedsomething bf Aunt Maybelle's- they'vehad to. There's no quesrion in musicalsisters were few. Only about five percentof country's earliestrecord- my mind."a3 Forresteralso suggeststhat Maybelle'sinfuence has so infused ings feature female performers,"3eand that their unusually feminine sound popular music that people may not even realizeits origin: "Maybe [a guirar led them to become"the foundation female act of country music history."a0 player] is influenced by one person, and [Maybelle] infuenced that person Peerintuited that the Carters' predominantly female vocalswere not neces- and laid the groundwork - it would be hard for [anyone] not to be touched sarily a bad thing - especiallyconsidering the themesof the songsthey chose by the way she played."aa to sing. The songstended to deal with the domestic sphere,stressing themes Jack Tottle agrees.He cites severalreasons why Maybelle's guirar licks of home and hearth. There might be women fronting the group in these revolutionized guitar playing: "[Her playing] gives you the melody of rhe recordings,yet they were singing about subjectsthat offered no challengeto song. It's very satisfying, and it is incredibly even, polished, and smooth in the cultural expectationsor social order of their era- and they sounded a way that was not all that common at thar time."45 He adds that "people grear. who were listening to mountain-type singing weren't used ro hearing a gui- JackTottle - a bluegrassmusician who directsthe Bluegrass,Old-Time , tar pick out a melody. \fhen Maybelle [played lead], a person who played and Country Music program at East TennesseeState University in Johnson the guitar a little bit thought, 'I'll bet I can do that.' So shewas connecting City, Tennessee- suggeststhat the Carters' choicesof subject matter were with her audienceon more than one level, and encouragingparticipation."a6 basednot just on what would pleasetheir audience,but alsoon their own Of course,on first hearing the Carter Family's1927 Bristol sessions personalexperiences and convictions. Tottle notes that many of the musi- recordings, a twenty-first-century listener might consider them primidve cianswho becamecommercially successfulduring the sameera as the Carters and rough - especiallyif that listener is accustomedto the slick, elaborately sang songsabout "mother" and "home." He attributes this to the fact that produced country music coming out of Nashville today. To such a listener, often "it was [the musician's] mother who was the one in the family who the Bristol sessionsrecordings - madewhen the recording industry was new sang or played the banjo. There are a lot of songs [from that era] about and equipment was lesssophisticated - might initially sound a bit tinny and mother, and there are few about 'daddy."'4rSara had not known her mother coarse.But on subsequentlistenings, the Carter Family's earliest recorded for long, but Tottle's comments fit for both A. P and Maybelle, who learned music transcendsthe limitations of early-twentieth-century technology.The a great deal from their mothers. elementaland earthy quality of the Carters' music - drawing on deep,sturdy However, the Carters' songs,while they were nostalgic and sentimen- roots in the Appalachianballad and gospeltraditions - ultimately commands tal, were alsoinnovative and a little .dgy - and not just becausethe women's the attention of modern listenersbecause, as Ralph Blizard put it, their music voices were featured over A. P's. Maybelle's guitar style certainly offered is so "sincere"and "soul-felt."a7 somethingnew to listeners.Most accompanistsin old-time music simply That sincerity and soulfulnesscaught Peer'sear during the Carter Fam- backed the singersby playing chords to support the vocals. Ifanyone in an ily's morning audition on August l, 1927,and prompted him to invire them old-time string band took an instrumental break, it was the fiddler. But back for an actual recording session.On that first afternoon, the Carters Maybelle defied tradition and picked out the melody in her guitar breaks recordedfour songs.The first number they sang was "Bury Me Under the becweenthe vocals,inventing what would later come to be calledthe "Carter W'eepingVillow." Both Saraand Maybelle had sung this song aschildren.a8 scratch" or the "Carter lick." It's been noted that "by the end of the nven- Descendingfrom the sentimentalVictorian-era tradition of "corpsepoems," ties, Maybelle's Carter scratch ... was rhe most widely imitated guitar style in which the speaker,generally female, is either dead or dying becauseher in music. Nobody did as much to popularize the guitar, becausefrom the heart hasbeen broken by a desertingmale lover, "Bury Me Under the $(/'eep- beginning, her playing was as distinctive as any voice."42 ing Villow" chronicles an idealizedcase of unrequited love. In such songs, A number of musicians have acknowledged Maybelle's influence on sleepis often used as a euphemism for death, and in this particular song, a them, including , Elvis Presley,Bob Dylan, Marty Stuart, willow is clearly a symbol of mourning. 76 Panr iI: THE Brusrol SrssroNs 5. The Carter Farnily (Doman) 77

'Willow," In the Carrers'version of "Bury Me Under the Weeping the listener can almost seeSara's arm fying over the strings of the autoharp and speakerhopes to hold power over the absentlover in death that shehad been Maybelle's look of concentration as she bends over her guitar. Maybelle's unableto wield in life. The themesin this genreof ninereenth-cenrurypop- voice is absentin this number, but her guitar is an undeniablepresence when ular song- women dying of broken hearts,men proving false,ruined wed- she takesher rwo instrumental breaks. Sarasings a strong, sure lead. A. P's dings- connectclosely with the older and more violent Appalachianballads repetitionor "echo"5iofthe phrase"by the sei'in the chorusoffers just the that wereso familiar to the carters. Here, the femalespeaker wonders if her right amount of artistic interest to the song without making the arrange- falsemale lover, who has desertedher just before their wedding day, will at ment too busy. On this recording, the Carters sound vigorous and com- leastbe sorry to learn that she has died. Her attitude is submissiverather mitted. than vengefulor angry. Her request to be buried under rhe wiilow so that "The Poor Orphan Child," the third number recorded by the Carters her loverwill know where shelies is renderedmore poignant by the acknowl- on that first day,combines the sentimentalismof "Bury Me Under the \ifeep- 'lfillow" edgementthat he may not care at all about her death; the last line of the ing and rhe religious feeling of "Little Log Cabin by the Sea." The chorussays,"perltaps he will weep for me," suggestingthat evenas she hopes song "lappeared] in at leastfive gospelsongbooks between 1899 and 1907," to garnerhis attention by dying, she recognizesrhe exrenr of his desertion and was probablywritten by H. V. Elliot in 1899.52Inhis book Donl Get and alsounderstands that he may never mourn for her as she does for him. Aboue Your Raisin': Country Music and the Southern W'orhingClass, Bill C. In the wrong hands, the song could be cloyingly sentimental, but the Malone wrote that the song was "originally titled 'Saviour,Lead Them,"' Carters'arrangemenrsayes it. The driving rhythm of the autoharp offers a and was written as a tribute to the "Orphans Homes of Texas"as a "com- counterpointto the subjecr matrer, and Maybelle plays her part so energer- passionateand sentimentalizedplea for orphan children, and only inciden- ically that, as Charles 'Wolfe notes, "some of her strings [slapl against the tally an endorsementof the benevolentand fatherly role of God."53Malone guitar."aeThe three-partharmony of the Cartersdoes not whisper; ir lends theorizesthat in choosingsuch material,"the Carters... had no evangelis- a powerful exigency ro the woman's request for her false lover's attention. tic intent, but insteadwere falling back on the cherishedsouvenirs of a past Perhapsthe Carterswere singing "Bury Me Under the Weeping \fillow" so sharedwith their listeners."54Although the Carters probably had no direct vigorouslybecause of the recording equipmenr. A. P and Sara might have evangelisticpurpose, the depth of their religious convictions suggeststhat rememberedtheir previous recording experience,in which the autoharp did they chose the song partly becauseit was religious, and in its indirect way, 'What- not make enough sound for the machine to record it appropriately. it reflected a Christian ethos that was impbrtant to them. However, the ever the reason,their version of this song has an undeniable and powerful Carters probably chose the song primarily becausethey liked it, they knew ulgency. it well, and they thought that it would sound good on a recording. In "Little Log Cabin by the Sea," the secondsong rhey recorded dur- The arrangementof "The Poor Orphan Child" is similar in many ways ing the Bristol sessions,the Carters offeredPeer their first gospelsong. Many to that of "Little Log Cabin by the Sea."Once again, the Carters sing a duet of the religious numbers that A. P. arranged for the group came from his in which Sarasstrong lead vocal is supported by a driving rhythm under- experiencewith church-sponsoredsinging schoolsand shapenote song- neath. On this recording, Saraplays autoharp, while Maybelle plays guitar books. \folfe points out thar "Little Log Cabin by the Sea"originates from without taking a break - perhapsthe Carters felt that none of the verses of such a source. The original version of the song, named "The Bible In The this song could be omitted and still have the story make sense.A. P again Cabin by the Sea,"was written in the nineteenrh cenrury by W C. Hafley, sings church music-style harmony with an echo on the chorus, this time and was published by A. J. Showalter in 1903.50Since the Carters' version offering a slight variation on the lines rather than a straight repetition ofthe departs somewhat from the originally published lyrics, A. P. probably words as in "Little Log Cabin by the Sea."The theme of this song- the sep- rearrangedand rewrote the original to suit the Carters' purposes. aration of children and parents-not only resemblesthe Carters'previous The content of "Little Log Cabin by the Sea"reflects the Caner Fam- number, but also anticipatesthe same theme in the sixth song that the trio ily's usual themes and concerns- it is a celebration of mother, home, and recordedduring the Bristol sessions,"The \Tandering Boy." the christian faith. Again, in their renderingof the song, the Carters restrain The last song recorded by the Carters on August 1, 1927, was "The the sentimentality of the material by maintaining a driving instrumental StormsAre on the Ocean." Like "Bury Me Under the \Teeping Willow," this rhythm under their vocals.They keep tight time, and playwirh gusto - the song depicts the parting of lovers, but this time it seemsto be necessity, 78 PanrII: Tsr BnrsrolSpssroNs 5. The Carter Family (Doman) 79

'Wolfe, ratherthan lost love, rhat parts them. The young man is going to sea,prob- According to a friend had taught Sara "Single Girl, Married ably to make money so that he can come back and marry his true love. Girl" in 1905.56Variants of the song existed all over Appalachia in 1927. Although it is rearrangedinto more modern form with versesand a chorus, Even today, versionsof the song are in circulation; for example, SheilaKay the songexhibits severaltraits inherited from the ballad tradition. First, as Adams, a seventh-generationballad singer from Sodom, North Carolina, in a numberof traditional balladsfrom rhe British Isles,two speakerswithin sings a version calldd "Single Girl."t7 thesong are engaged in a dialogue.AIso, the songcontains what ballad schol- In the Bristol sessionsrecording of "Single Girl, Married Girl," Sara arscall "commonplace" or "floating" verses- that is, versesincorporated into sings lead and plays autoharp, as usual. But there is something different numerousballads; for instance, the verse beginning with "'il7ho will dress about this cut. Part of it is the complete lack of sentimentality in the lyrics, your pretty little feet" appearswith slight variations in severaldifferent tra- marking a departurefrom the Carters'other Bristol sessionsselections. There ditional ballads,as does the verse about the "mourning doves fying from is no pain ofseparation here, though the song'sprotagonist reflectsupon her 'Wolfe, pine to pine." According to the song is descendedfrom a Scottish "single" days. But much of the difference in this recording results from the balladwith a "great long srory" called 'The Lassof Loch Royal,' but when way that Maybelle plays her guitar: she picks out the melody rather then it got to the mountains, only the lyric parts survived."55 simply chording under Sara'ssinging, and Maybelle matches Sara'svoice For "The Storms Are on the Ocean," the Carters slowed the tempo to almost note for note. An additional point of interest in "Single Girl, Mar- a lildng waltz time. All three Carrerssing on this song, with Saraproviding ried Girl" is that it is structured more like the old Appalachian balladsthan the lead. Maybelle and A. P harmonize, and Maybelle plays rwo insrru- the previous four cuts, in that the song does not havea chorus. The women mental breaks on her guitar. In some places,Sara and A. P sing different play the samemelody with every verse- even the guitar breaks stick to the words:at one point during the femalespeaker's verse, she sings "you," while sametune. The interest in this song derivesnot from the harmony singing, A. P.sings "I," the logical word for the male speaker.In another line, Sara as in the first four selections,but from Maybelle's playing the melody line sings"you cankiss my rosy red cheeks,"and A. P.sings "yov ma! kiss." Far on guitar under the singing and from the unusual positioning ofthe guitar from marring the performance, rheseslight incongruiries simply make the breaks. "Single Girl, Married Girl" actually begins and ends with instru- recordingseem more like a live performance.The Carter Family'sversion of mentals rather than with vocals,and there is also an instrumental break in the song swings back and forth in an easyrhythm, but at a fasterpace than the middle. This particular recording underscoresthe Carter Family's inno- morerecent interpretations, which tend to be slower and sweererand to play vation, versatility, and the breadth oftheii repertoire. on the pain of separationbetween lovers. The Caners'earnesr approach to The Carter women ended their Bristol sessionsrecordings with "The the song instead seemsto emphasizethe seriousnesswith which the lovers Vandering Boy." As \folfe put it, "this song [seemslto have roots in the maketheir promiseto remain true. gospel songbook tradition, though its exact provenance is cloudy."58The The two Carrer women returned ro rhe Bristol studio for another song, with its emphasison a heavenlyreunion, connectswith the gospeltra- recordingsession the next day, August 2, 1927,but A. P was nor with them. dition of "Limle Log Cabin by the Sea"and "The Poor Orphan Child." But Much to Sara'schagrin, Peerwanted her to record a song called "single Girl, becauseit bearsthe point of view of a woman who missesa loved one, "The 'Wandering Married Girl." PerhapsSara's reluctance to sing the song, as a number of Boy" resemblesthe sentimentality of "Bury Me Under the lVeep- biographershave speculated, stemmed from the fact that ir too closelyresem- ing \fillow" and "The Storms Are on the Ocean." bled her real life. Such writers point out that since her wedding, Sara had The phrasing and rhythm of "The Wandering Boy" seem a bit odd at certainly taken on more than her shareof domestic responsibiliry.She knew first to the modern listener, becausethe song'sautoharp and guitar accom- what it was like to care for a home and babies when money was scarce. paniment is quite urgent - such sentimental lyrics would be treated today Becauseher husband was regularly gone while working or collecting songs, with a sweeter, slower instrumental arrangement. But again, the Carters Saraoften took on the task of running the farm as well as rheir home. But placetheir song'semphasis on the earnestnessof the protagonist'semotional there may be another element ro rhe song. Based on descriptions of Sara perspectiveand thus prevent the song from becoming maudlin. The puls- offered by family and friends, it is also likely that the rather stoic Sarawas ing rhythm seemsto underscorethe emotions of the mother whose son is simply unwilling to sing somethingthat soundedlike a complaint. In any far from her, and Sara'svoice carries the poignancy of the words without the case,Peer prevailed, and Sara recordedthe song. assistanceof a self-consciousarrangement. She imbues the 6rst nvo lines of 80 Pnnr II: THe BzusroI-Sessroxs 5. The Carter Family (Doman) 8l the choruswith particularlyintense longing. When Sarasings, "Bring back my boy, my wanderingboy I Far, far away wherever he may be," her voice becomesstronger and louder, taking on a keening edge as if she is actually calling out to an absentson. Maybelle takesno breakson this recording; she simply keepstime with Sara'sautoharp and vocals. The listener can imag- ine Maybelle concentrating on Sara'sface, watching for the subtle changes that signal a changein chords. The Carter women finished recording before lunchtime on August 2. The family then piled into the car with their instrumentsand went back home to spend a few quiet months waiting to seewhat would come of their Bris- tol recording sessions,if anything. About four months after they sang for Ralph Peer, the lives of the Carters began to change. During the late 1920s,commercial recordswere releasedwith one song on each side. The first releaseof music by the Carter Family featured "The Poor Orphan Child" on one side,with "The \TanderingBoy" on the other. The record sold rather well, and the Carters earned some royalties. But to Sara'samazement, a subsequentrelease, "Single Girl, Married Girl," even- tually becamethe biggest seller of all the sidesthey recordedthat day, as a growing number of listenersrelated to the song that Sarahad beenso hes- itant to record. In fact, it was the successof this release,with "The Storms Are on the Ocean" on the other side of the record, that promptedVictor to invite the Carters to a later recording session- this time in Camden, New Jersey.5e The Carter Family's Bristol recordings proved what Peer had already guessedabout the Carters as soon as he heard them audition - that their SANGS sound was good enough to prompt record sales.Ralph Blizard comments tn*iudttrrl- that "Peer had the talent to recognize... what people wanted to hear, what "ultDwoooFtawE&" they liked. . . . He had a pretty good idea of what would go over. All that sin- ?tttw06 11,n, *rn ' cere, soul-felt music he was hearing [from the Carter Family] was coming vtntg$.tvitut"xrau' across."60But Peersaw something else of valuein the Carters'songs.He could ' *,fuitrutrt|.errr,qe A NP o cll:o p.a,s was very I l)4 lht publish them and profit from the royalties.Recording technology :" Ag WRlt6il^NoNNoAf new in 1927, and so \^/erethe laws that pertained to intellectual property. CANTER 4a:naf*..a I 4-t Peerpaid the Carters for each recording that he could sell as a commercial WetO hl4ow EFO&tM t r^1rt n. record, but he also offered royalties to A. P for songshe could write, col- .l,,iT lect, or rework for copyright - and as the publisher of A. P's songs,Peer was entitled to part ofthe royalties for each one. Carter Family Songbook: The Carter Family, featuring husband and wife A. P. A. P. Carter has sometimesgarnered criticism for his copyright appli- and and Sara'syounger cousin Maybelle Carter (who was married to A. P.'sbrother Ezra), becamemajor country music stars in the months after cations on songs that were in the public domain - or, more controversial making their first records at the 1927 Bristol sessions.One of the trio's great even,on songsthat were derived from earliermaterial with clearProvenance. strengthswas A. P. Carter's ability to craft memorable new songsthat sounded fu previously suggested,the songs that the Carters sang during the Bristol like they had always been around. Songbooks containing the words and tunes sessionswere often reworkings of oldcr songs,whether traditional or com- of A. P.'ssongs soon becamewidely popular. Collection of Charles K. Wolfe. 82 PenrII: THe Bnrsrol SessroNs 5. The Carter Family (Doman) 83 mercial. Critics sometimeshave taken A. P. to task for copyrighting songs Shealso recountsa story about the song "SweetFern": "I've heard Mom talk that someoneelse originated. Much of the controversyover A. P.'scopyright about him walking in the woods and [seeing]a bird up on a limb, and that practiceis unwarrantedin light of his cultural background and the newness brought'SweetFern' about.... [H.] was very outdoorsy.He loved the out- of copyright law in the late 1920s.Unlike ballad collectorslike Cecil Sharp doors and nature and animals ... so a lot of his songscame from that."7o and other academics,A. P. Carter came from within the Appalachian folk Forresteragrees that the Carter Family servedas a bridge berweenthe tradition, in which people had been swapping tunes and songsfor g!n!ra- folk processand the new commercial music, "It was a new experiencefor all tions. \il7henscholarly collectors began to travel through Appalachia around of them," she says,"The recording industry was in its infancy.. .. Just a few the turn ofthe century,they carefully collectedthe region'sballads and songs years of recording had taken place when they started, so it was brand new and wrote them down note for note becausethey wanted to preservethem to all of them."7l in their "pure" forms.6rIn contrasr,Appalachian musicians historically traded Those who focus on the controversyover A. P Carter's copyright prac- tunes and songswith the expectation thar each player or singer would put tices tend to base their judgment of the situation too heavily on today's his or her "mark" on a piece. Ralph Blizard commenred rhat it was srill com- norms, and they tend to missthe real point of his genius,which was his abil- mon practicefor him, as an old-time musician, to learn a tune from some- ity to identify interestingmaterial and to craft memorablearrangements. He one else,"[but] play it the way that 1do it."62This practiceincludes making was extremely skilled in both these areas,despite the many limitations he changes* sometimessubstantial ones - to both melodiesand lyrics. Blizard faced in compiling a repertoire for the Carter Family-that is, he had to calledthis "putting your own complexion on a song."63In his song collect- choosematerial that was "morally good"; it had to have the old-fashioned ing and his songwriting, A. P. followed thesetraditional methods of chang- qualities that fans loved, but with a new twist; and it had to be three min- ing the tune or lyrics to suit his group's needs. utes or lessin length in order to fit on the wax masterdiscs used for record- Although he defendedA. P. Carter's song collecting methods, Blizard ing. The last of these limitations is one that no longer exists for recording acknowledgedthe reasonsfor today's much tighter copyright laws, admir- musicians.They can recordmuch longer songs,and they can certainly include ting that "copyright law ... was necessary,ofcourse, in order ro protect peo- more than two sideson one release.But in working up songsfor the Carter ple'srights"; but Blizard also maintained that in the earliestdays of the Family to record,A. P Carter had to keep in mind that the equipment sim- recordingindustry, "a lot ofpeople got copyright on songsrhey did not really ply could not accommodateanything over three minutes long. Tiaditional write themselves.Back when I was coming up, songwriterswere selling their balladshad to be changedin format. As Rita Forresterconveys, "It was com- songsvery cheap- theyd sell them, and whoever they sold them ro 'wrore' mon for songsto havethirteen, fourteen verses- evenfifteen. 'Course, they them."6a couldn't use all that, so they had to shorten things"72 futa Forrester thinks that people "misundersrand" her grandfather's The Bristol sessionsrecording of "The StormsAre on the Ocean" serves methods and intent.6t "There were no rules," she says,"Mr. Peer and the as a good example of how masterfully A. P. Caner could rework a song to Carter Family were in new territory" when it came to copyrighr law.66She suit his audience'stastes and stay within a three-minute format. The oldest offersinsight into the Appalachian tradition, sayingthat "a lot of times, peo- elementsof the song- the versesthat derive from the ballad tradition - set ple would give them things that they knew simply so thar they would be up the theme of parting, and outline the journey of the young man over the preserved.It [might havebeen] a verseor a poem - just something that they sea. But A. P.'srendering departs from the ballad tradition, which often had learned. It was common practice for people ro give [them] material."67 mentions characters'names and the namesof locations referredto in a given She acknowledgesthat ballads were source material for her grandfather's ballad. A. P. Carter would borrow parts of a ballad but would leave out songs,but so were other songs "that lthe Carters] had heard all their lives namesand locations,which would render a songmore universal.Such a song ... [though] maybe they changedthem around, rearrangedthen and worked by A. P.would also depart from the ballad tradition by adding a chorus; bal- them to where they felt comfortable with rhem."68She points out rhar sev- lads traditionally featured the same melody all the way through. The cho- eral of the songson which A. P.claimed copyright were in fact fully his own. rus of "The Storms Are on the Ocean" reinforcesthe lovers' earnestlove for About "The Cyclone of Rye Cove," she says,"I know that ... my granddad one another, and it reminds listenersof the theme of the song despite the wrote it after he had actually been to Rye Cove and seenwhat happened.... absenceof the original details. And, most important of all, the song was That wasjust straight out becausehe had lived that, and it moved him so."6e short enough to be captured by Peer'srecording equipment. 84 PanrII: Tue BRrsroLSpssror*rs 5. The Carter Family (Doman) 85

A largecomponent of the Carter Family's initial fanbase- that is, the Notes peoplcwho bought those first releases- consistedof peoplewho were born and raisedin Appalachia but who were living in other parts of the country 1. Michael Qrgill, Anchoredin Loue: 27. rbid. (Old 28. rbid. for economicreasons. As Ralph Blizard pointed out, "what peopledon't real- The Carter Fami$ Story Tappan, NewJersey:Fleming H. ReVellCompany, 29. Bufwackand Oermann, 57. ize mostly is thar our traditional music had a footing in [the North] even r975):3r. 30. lbid. beforeVorld War II."73 Blizard also recalledthat "a lot of the people moved 2. JanerteCarter, interviewby author, ll. JanetteCarter, interview by author. from the South to the North to get jobs, becausewe didn't havemuch in the February1,2003, near Hiltons, Virginia. 32. Rita Forrester,interviewby author. Interviewon file in the 33. Ibid. south-not as much as there was up there."7aThe traditional elementsof Cassetterecording. ArchivesofAppalachia at 34. Zwonitzer and Hirschberg,77. "The StormsAre on the Ocean," coupled with the Carters' accents,would StateUniversity, Johnson City, Tennessee. 35. Ibid. ccrtainlyappeal to misplacedAppalachians, many of whom longed to return 3. Michael Zwon\tzer with Charles 36. Charles\folfe, liner notes,12. home.Many of these fans would identify with rhe plight of the lovers Hirschberg, IYill YouMiss Me lYben Im 37. rbid.,16. The Carter Famif and Their Legacy 38. rbid., 17. depictedin the song, who had parted for economic necessityand not by Gone: in Country Music (New York: Simon and 39. Bufwack and Oermarur,59. choice.Afrer all, they had left friends and family behind to find employ- Schuster,2002): 24-21. 40. rbid.,t5. ment in the factoriesup north, and many of them did not know when they 4. rbid.,29. 41. JackTottle, interview by author, would be able to return. A. P Carter himself had left to work up north for 5. rbid.,29-30. January 15, 2003, Johnson City, Ten- 6. rbid. nessee.Cassette recording. a time, so he knew how it felt to be far from home and loved ones. In addi- 7. lbid.,32. 42. Zwonitzer and Hirschberg,109. tion, Jack Tottle points out that the Carter Family pronounced their words 8. CharlesWolfe, liner notesto boxed 43. Rita Forrester,interview by author. in a disdnctively Appalachian manner, which would have given the songsa CD set, The Carter Fami$: In the Shadow 44. rbid. specialappeal to transplanted Appalachian people who had migrated and of Clinch Mountain. BoxedCD set. BCD 45. JackTottle, interview by author. 15865LK. BearFamily, 2000. 46. rbid. were now surrounded by unfamiliar cultures and speechpatterns.T5 9. Zwonitzer and Hirschberg,35. 47. RalphBlizard, interview by author. The Bristol sessionsrecordings would change everything for the 10. Charles'Wolfe,liner notes,8. 48. CharlesWolfe, liner notes,46. Carters- and for American music in general. As Bufwack and Oermann 11. rbid.,9. 49. rbid,.. 17. 12.rbid. 50. Ibid., 46. Put it: 13. Zwonirzerand Hirschberg,77. 5r. Ibid.,17. 14. CharlesVolfe, liner notes, 10. 52. rbid.,46. It would be hard to overstateThe CarterFamily's importance to popular 15. Mary A. Bufwack and Robert K. t3. Bill C. Malone, Don't Ger Aboue musichistory. Country's first stargroup is unmatchedas a preserverand Oermann, Finding Her Voice:The Sagaof YourRaisin': Countrl Music and theSouth- rilbmen (New (Urbrna: University of popularizerof folk and parlorsongs. Maybelle's then-revolutionary guitar in Country Maric York: ern Vl'orhingCkss Crown Publishers,Inc., 1993) 53. Illinois Press.2000): 93. stylehelped transform the instrumentfrom backgroundrhythm to the 16. rbid., 53. )4. lbld. dominantlead sound in pop culture.[55] 17. rbid. 55. Charles'Wolfe,liner notes,17. 18. RalphBlizard, interview by author, 56. rbid.,46. 2003, Blounwille, Tennessee 57. Adams'versioncan be heardon her Seventy-fiveodd yearsafter they were made, the Carter Family's recordings January13, Cassetterecording. 2000 releaseMy DearestDcar, a self'pub- from the Bristol sessionsstill attract the attention of fans aswell as of other 19. Ibid. lished CD with 15 cuts, including tradi- musicians. They operated in the gray areaberween folk and commercial 20. Zwonirzer and Hirschberg, 60-61. tional bdladslearned from her family and music, giving a nod to the old days, but at the same time, updating the 21. JanetteCarter, interviewby author. one original. The CD is of inrerest to 22. tbid. Carter Family fans becauseit contains music. The Carters' music, todaS soundscareful and professional,not at all 23. Zwonitzer and Hirschberg, 108. variantsofother traditional songssung by amateurish. And even some their material could be faulted for though of 24, JanetteCarter, interview by author. the trio, suchas "I Never'lfill Marry" and over-the-top sentimentalism,many of the trio's songsare regularly included 25. Ralph Blizard, interview by author. "Black Jack Davy." in the repertoiresof folk, old-time, and bluegrassmusicians. The Carter 26. Rita Forrester, interview by the 58. Charles'Wolfe,liner notes,46. author, Februaryl, 2003, near Hiltons, 59. Ibid., 19. Family'ssongs may be old-fashioned, but they continue to pleaseaudiences Vrginia, Cassetterecording on file in the 60. Ralph Blizard, interview by author, becausethey concern the universal things that people still care about in the Archives of Appalachia, East Tennessee 61. This concern for exact transcripts twcnty-6rst century. StateUniversity, Johnson City, Teruressee. of words and songsfor ballads somctimes 86 Pxnr II: TUE BzusroLScssroNs

puzzlesand amusesfolk musicians and 66. Ibid. scholars,who point out rhat by rhe time tJ/. rbid. the academicswere collecting them, the 68. Ibid songshad alreadybeen through genera- 69.rbid. tionsofchanges, so they could hardly be 70. rbid. deemed"pure" in form. 7r.rbid. 62. RalphBlizard, interview by author. 72. rbid. 63.rbid. Ralph Blizard, interview by author. 64.rbid. 7/! lDro. 65, RitaForrester, interview by author. Jack Tottle, interview by author. 6. The Blackard-ShelorStory:

WorhsCited Biographyof a Hillbilly String Band

Blizard,Ralph. Personalinterview. 13,2003. January 'V{omcn Bufwack,Mary A. and Robert K. Oermann. Finding Her Voice:The Sagaof in CountryMusic.New York: Crown Publishers,Inc., 1993. Tom Carter Carter,Janette. Personal interview. Februaryl,2003. Forrester,Rita. PersonalInterview. Februaryl,2003. Malone, Bill C. DonI Get Aboue Your Raisin': Country Music and the Southern rYorhing Chss.Urbana: University of Illinois Press,2000. Orgill, Michael , Anchoredin Loue: The Carter Farnily Stor1. Old Tappan, N.J': Fleming Dad Blackard'sMoonshiners, alternatively billed as the Shelor Family, H. RevellCompany, 1975. recorded four sidesfor Victor in 1927.t On theserecordings Joe Blackard sang Tottle,Jack. Personalinterview. January 15,2003. the lead and picked the banjo; his daughter Clarice Blackard Shelor sang Volfe, Charles. Liner notes to boxed CD set, The Carter Family: In the Shadowof Clinch Mountain.Boxed CD set. BCD 15865LK. Bear Family,2000. harmony and provided piano accompaniment.The fiddlerswere Jesse Shelor Zwonirzer, Michael, with Charles Hirschberg. IVill YouMiss Me V(henIh Gone: The (Clarice's husband) and his brother Pyrhus. This band, for convenience CarterFamily and Their Legacyin CountryMuslc. New York: Simon and Schuster,2002. referredto here as the Shelor Family, hailed from Meadows of Dan, Patrick County, Virginia. Both the Blackardsand the Shelorsplay an important role in the musicalhistory of this region and are particularly noteworthy because their lives span three distinct erasof outside involvement in the folk music of the Southern Appalachians.Cecil Sharp, the English folksong collector, visited and notated Joe Blackard'ssinging in 19182;the two families com- bined in 1927 to make commercial discs for the early recording industry; and, finally, the urban folk revival of the 1960sled to their "rediscovery"and subsequentre-recording. The history of this band and its music perhapscan best be illustrated by tracing the development of its individual members. 3 Joe Blackardwas born "down the mountain" near the town of Stuart, one of the children of \filloughby Blackard, in 1859.The Blackardsmoved up to the top of the Blue Ridge in the early 1860sand lived at Connors View, not far from the present Meadows of Dan post office. Shortly thereafter, 'l7illoughby was killed during the battle for the defenseof Richmond - one

Reprinted from Old Time Music 24 (Spring 1977): 4-7. Used by permission of the aurhor and that pcriodical's editor Tony Russell. 87