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Home , Carlene Carter, Carl Smith (musician), Carter Family, Marty Stuart, Maybelle Carter, Musical Shapes

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llililililil|[[Uillilltililil " (-arlene's hillbilly royalty wherher lr.-, stre wanl.s to be'or not,'; said recently of his former sister-in-law. "She's really a descendant of the Queen of , ." It's true. As the daughter of country stars and June Carter and the stepdaughter of , has a musical pedigree second to none. Yet she tumed her back on her native Nashville in order to spend eight years honing a keen rock'n'roll sensibility in post-punk London. The result was that while her half-sister has evolved in[o a country superstar over the past decade, it has taken Carlene almost that long just to gain recognition. But in 1990 she re-emerged on with the raunchy I Fell In Love and found success again last year with the quintessential country-rock albtm, Little Lov e Le tt er s, both produced by her current beau, . She's come a long way from Madison, Tennessee where she was born Rebecca Carlene Smith on September 26,1955. She took to music early, playing piano from six years old and taking lessons from her grandmother, the legendary Maybelle Carter, at age 10. "She didn't really teach me my first, stuff," says Carlene, setting the record straight. "My Mom did. And then my Grandma taught me more things later. I didn't really realise the impact she'd had on country music, or that she was anything other than just a really cool grandma who went fishin' with me and Hillbilly Queen taught me how to play poker and all those really fun things that grandmothers indulge their grandaughters in. "I got, a really good upbringin' from CARLENE CARTER her," she continues. "And then when I got interested in playin' the guitar it was just a natural thing for her 'cause all of talks to Jeremy Isaac her kids had done that. It went without sayin'." Some might think that following in the footsteps of a country music legend was a pretty tough road to travel. "Ifyou ever Tiffany, but the marriage ended in Around this time she met Jack Routtr, really sat down and strrted thinkin' divorce two years later. On leaving a writer with Johnny Cash's publishing about that, it would be so overwhelming college, she worked for a while as a company. Within ttrree months ttrey you might wanna run and hide," she model, joining her motier and stepfatler were married and had a son, John laughs, "so you just don't think of it in on the road later on, and singing on Jackson Routh, but this union, too, was those terms, because it's just your family. Johnny Cash' s curiously-titled family short-lived, and the couple separated in "The just got their album of 1974,Tlu Junkie AndThe 1977.The same year Carlene moved to (postage) stamp, and I look at that stamp Juicehead Minus Me. London with her new boyfriend Rodney and I look at my little Grandma's face on "Actually, I didn't really work with Crowell and made an eponymous upbeat there and it just blows me away. She just them on a serious basis," says Carlene, debut album that boasted contributions didn't have any idea of what she had going on lo recall some fond memories. from ex- bass player done. She was just this liale woman "As a kid, joining in w1s a real normal and West London pub-rock luminary from the mountains of West ." process. Travelling with them, they , as well as After leaving Henderson High School always included us kids, myself, my and . The album also where she had been a cheerleader, cousin David, my cousin Laurie or my included Crowell's Never Together, But Carlene was maried at 16 !o Joe sister Rosie, whoever was ttrere. We'd Close Sometimrs, which was a minor hit Simpkins and had a daughter named all jump out there and do our thing." in the UK.

JANUARY 1994 COUNTRY MUSIC PEOPLE 33 and Mary-ChaPin "One of the guys had worked with Rumour, and Dr' it can now be seen as a Brinsley Schwartz," she says, naming no Feelgood, before forming with Carpenter, blueprint for what would later be called names, "and he had this vision of putting . It was therefore not produce her New Country. a real straight ahead country blueblood surprising that he should As a result, by 1980 Carlene was with a British rock band and seeing what next album, , in 1980. being hailed as one of the queens of hybrid would be like. And I was very Despite t}re influence of some of post- age. Her next album, interested in that because at that time London's heaviest rockers, Carlene Bhte Nun,was an explicit celebration of country music was kinda goin' in a didn't stray too far from her roots, as subordinated her countrY direction that I wasn't interested in. It included on Shapes were a rocked-up, sex that influences to Lowe's obsession for was pretty milk toasty kind of, and a lot synth-backed version of Johnny Cash's 1960s R&B. Hardly surprising, as Lowe of long dresses and high collars. It was . a duet with Dave Edmunds had co-written nearlY half just not really what I of the songs on it. It also wanted to do, and that's spawned a single, Do /t how I ended up in In A Heartaclre, which England. made the US countrY "I came there to work chart that year. But, with Dave Edmunds, and despite soulful helP from I actually ended uP doin' Squeeze's , a record with the the album was nol as Rumour. It seemed like a well-received as her completely idiotic thing earlier outings. to be doin', but creatively "Basically, I was just it was really fun." searching for a certain So how did New Wave cross between what I felt London compare with her naturally and what was conventional Nashville happening in the world. It background? was normal for me to "It was so exciting and want to ht in somePlace creative," she recalls and I didn't fit in countrY, animatedly. "I was given so the record comPanies total freedom to were suggesting that I go experiment, to do more rock. It was just whatever I wanted to do. kind of a dizzy time." Nashville's always been Just when she seemed really big on parameters to be rejecting her and setting boundaries on country roots for good their artists: 'Oh, don't go and all, Carlene joined over there because radio family won't like it,' or'Don't, the Carter-Cash on stage at the WembleY do tliis' and 'Don't do Country Music Festival that'. And going to their 1981 UK London I was suddenly during tour t0 singWill The completely free. I could Be Unbroken.In do anything I wanted to. Circle meantime, her own And that lasted for a the pretty long time." live shows were always class, and included a Made in New York, first almost mandatory her follow-up album, now of musicians from Two SidesTo Every lineup Rumour and Woman, saw her The although by sruggling with a series of Rockpile, time her marriage to dance tracks, and it was this rocks. while promoting it at a Lowe was on the C Bon New York club that she introduced the on 'sBaby Ride Easy (a 1983 saw the release of C'Est songSwap-Meat Rag with the now hit in the US) and the CarterFamilY on Epic. Originally tobe calledGold her last notorious pronouncement, "If that classic, Foggy M o untain To p. How Miner's Daughter,it would be seven years doesn't put the c**t back into country difficult was it to achieve a balance album until / F ell I n Love got where it, music, nothing will." between post-punk rock and Pure later. "Eventually, it to she recalls, This earned her Playboy magazine's country? worked against me," rePlies with "because I did four or five albums over Quote of the Year Award, but Johnny "ltwasn'I difficult," she just kept getting further and Cash and June Carter, who were in the an incredulous laugh. "It was that it there where I where I felt the most audience at the time, were not amused. didn't fly in radio, or in Nashville. They further away from 1979 was also the year that Nick wouldn't accept me as a country artist in comfortable." year won Lowe became her third husband. In 1979 or 1980. They said if I'd ever just The following Carlene waitress in the addition to having his own hits with / sraighten up and do a sraight country acclaim for her role as a Boys And Dinettes LoveThe Sound Of Breaking Glass, album,I might be good." London castof Pump Crackin' UpudCruelTo Be Kind, The album also included her own starring Paul Jones and Kiki Dee. She based on one of Lowe had produced many of Stiff AppalachianEyes andToo Bad About also made a short film Too Records' early artists including The Sandy.In the aftermath of k.d. lang, the songs from Shapes entitled

34 couNrRY Mustc PEoPLE JANUARY 1994 Drur*To Remtmber, which was seen at is due not only to Carlene's vocal with homes in Nashville and on the West the London Film Festival, and was to performances and material, of which all Coast, having finally made her peace star in the London musical, Angry but one track was co-written by her, but with the country music establishment she Housewives, in 1986. also to some heavyweight musical once eschewed. But she still remembers But she quit during the first week of assistance from , Benmont the time she spent in the punk capital of rehearsals, returning !o the States later Tench (also one ofTom Petty's boys) the world and ilre friends she knew there. that year to tour with the CarterFamily and veteran bassist . Her One of these is Bemie Taupin, who once more, and even recording with co-writers include Epstein, Tench, Al co-wrote the study in desolation, Tfte them on their Carter Family album Anderson of NRBQ, her best friend of Rarn, with her. release of 1988. "I'd worked with them l7-years standing Anni O'Brien, and "We've suyed friends since my several times throughout my life until I Radney Foster. London years," she says affectionately. was about 30," says Carlene. "Then "That's where I met him when I was when I was about 3l or 32I came back doin' Pump Boys And Dinerles with Kiki to America and worked with them for a Dee. Bernie came to the show and we've couple of years. been friends for almost ten years. "I wanted to do that then," she says "I have never presumed in our reflectively, "because I was really payin' friendship that he would write with me," a lot of attention !o what was goin' on she continues. "I just got a melody in my and I wanted to learn about my heritage head and I kept workin' on it, but I never and stuff." could say lyrically what I wanted to say. Then, in 1990, she made a devastating So I called him up and said, 'Do you return with her first solo country album, have time? Are you in the frame of mind I Fell In Love, enchanting both the music to do this with me?' And he said, 'Sure, industry and the record-buying public. come on over.' So I went over and Produced by Tom Petty's bass player, played the song ttrrough his ghetto Howie Epstein, / Fell In Love was a blaster, and he worked on it for a couple celebration of Carlene's country music of dayS and called me up and said, 'It's heriuge and featured old friends Dave done!' I think he captured lyrically what Edmunds, Kiki Dee, Albert Lee and Jim I was thinking when I was writing the Keltner. Songs likeMe AndWildwood music. Rose and G unrdian Angel demonstrated "He understood the feeling that I had admirably her potential to be a fine very much. He calls himself 'The King country songwriter with a multitude of of Pain'." experiences to draw on. Throughout L ittle Love Letters, The album won her a Grammy Award Carlene showcases her natural vocal nomination in 1991 for Country Female abilities, alternately seducing, wailing Performance, as well as an Acadamy of and rocking, generally reaffirming her Country Music nomination for Best New individuality through a collection of Female Vocalist lhe same year. Time unique and classy love songs. The album magazi*e called it "a world-beater". immediately captured the hearts of "Howie and I started workin' together critics and public alike, with CMT- about five years ago, and I Fell In Love Europe viewers sendtngEvery Little came out three years ago," she says, Thing n the top of t}re channel's bringing things up to date. "Country Countdown chart last summer. music had taken a little bit of a turn, and So, with an already chequered even though 1 Fell In Love was avery background, what's next for the former counEy song, it just had an energy to it wild girl of country music? that was a little edgy for them Photo credit: lan lilbury "I think they want another album in (Nashville). At first I think they thought, September," she says with anticipation. 'Oh, gosh, what are we doin' here?' But "I didn't know Radney real good but "l'm already writing and collecting it worked out real well." we became pretty good friends in a very tunes. I've got probably halfofit Carlene's latest album, Little Love shorl [ime," she says eamestly. "We've together that I feel real confident about Letters, also produced by Howie Epstein, always kinda wanted to work together. and I've got a list of 17 songs, but I'm has placed her in the forefront ofcountry He came over around noon and we bein' really ruthless. Howie and I aren't music, and is probably her finest ended up spendin' all day long talkin' gonna work together on this next album recording since the criminally ignored our heads off in my kitchen, and and I don't know who's gonna produce Musical Shapes. It's a rich musical pot somewhere in there wewrote I Love You me, so that's another thing." pourri ofrockabilly, country, rock and 'Cause I Want To. All during that time And there's talk of a tour. "Call up pop styles that highlight and underline Howie was callin' up and cheerleading BMG and tell 'em you want me," she her sharp-witted observations on real life us on trrough the writing session over says frantically. "Just tell 'em I'm really in the 1990s. the telephone from . It was a anxious to come back, because I'm From the opening detonation of Little pretty funny way to be doin' it. really homesick for all my friends. I Love Letter No.1 and Every Liltle Thing "By the time my kids came home spent eight years there and it's hard to through to bluesy ballads like the from school Radney and I were standing just not go back. I gotta get over there." stunning U nbre akable H e ar l, lhe up in the kitchen with our acoustic Here's hopin'.... I acoustic hot gospel number, tl allelujah , just rockin' out, and dancin' In My Heart and the concluding Heart Is around, and the kids said, 'Gosh, he's Right, every track on the album is pretty fine! "' polished to a professional brilliance. This Carlene is now well-settled Stateside,

JANUARY 1994 COUNTRY MUSTC PEOPLE 35