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Ina Anita Carter(March 31, 1933 – July 29, 1999) was an American singer who played upright bass, guitar, andautoharp.She performed with her sisters,HelenandJune,and her mother,Maybelle,initially under the name The Carter Sisters and Mother Maybelle. Carter had three top ten hits as well as other charting singles. She was the first to record the songs "Blue Boy"and"Ring of Fire".Carter was also a songwriter, most notably co-writing theJohnny Cashhit "Rosanna's Going Wild."
Anita Carter | |
|---|---|
 Anita Carter in 1977 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Ina Anita Carter |
| Born | March 31, 1933[1] Maces Spring,Virginia, US |
| Died | July 29, 1999(aged 66)[1] Hendersonville,Tennessee, U.S. |
| Genres | Country,folk |
| Occupation | Singer-songwriter |
| Instrument(s) | Bass, 12-string guitar, autoharp, vocals |
| Labels | RCA Victor,Cadence, Columbia,Audiograph,United Artists, Liberty, Capitol,House of Cash |
| Formerly of | Carter Family,The Carter Sisters |
Carter recorded for a number of labels, both as a solo artist and with her family, includingRCA Victor,Cadence,Columbia,Audiograph,United Artists,LibertyandCapitol.
Biography
editAnita was the third daughter ofEzraand Maybelle Carter. Born inMaces Spring, Virginia,she scored two top ten hits in 1951 with "Down the Trail of Achin' Hearts"and"Bluebird Island,"both duets withHank Snow.In 1962, she recorded "Love's Ring of Fire,"written by her sister June andMerle Kilgore.After the song failed to make the charts, Johnny Cash recorded it as "Ring of Fire" in March 1963 with the horns and the Carter Sisters (along with Mother Maybelle). This version became a hit for Cash.
She reached the top ten again in 1968 with "I Got You," a duet withWaylon Jennings.[1]Carter also reached the top 50 with hits like "I'm Gonna Leave You" in 1966 and "Tulsa County" in 1971.
On March 26, 1952, she appeared onThe Kate Smith Evening Hourwith her family band "The Carter Sisters and Mother Maybelle"as the first females to represent hillbilly/country music and Music CityNashvilleon national television.[2]On April 23, she returned to the program, where she performed a duet withHank Williams,on his song "I Can't Help It (If I'm Still in Love with You)".[3]Then on May 21, she became the first female star of the Grand Ole Opry to sing a solo onThe Kate Smith Evening Hourwhen she sang "Just When I Needed You".[4]
Marriages
editCarter married fiddler Dale Potter in 1950 (marriage was annulled shortly thereafter),session musicianDon Davis in 1953 (divorced and then remarried), andBob Wootton(lead guitarist for Johnny Cash's bandThe Tennessee Three) in 1974 (divorced). She had two children.
Death
editCarter suffered fromrheumatoid arthritisfor many years, and the drugs used to treat it severely damaged her pancreas, kidneys, and liver. She died on July 29, 1999, at the age of 66,[5]a year after eldest sister Helen and four years before middle sister June. She was under hospice care at the home of Johnny and June Carter Cash inHendersonville, Tennessee.Her interment was inHendersonville Memory GardensinHendersonville, Tennessee.
Album discography apart from Carter Family
edit| Albums | Label | Date |
|---|---|---|
| "Blue Doll" (Single) | Cadence Records – 1333 | 1957 |
| Together Again(withHank Snow) | RCA Victor LSPLSP – 2580 | Nov. 1962 |
| Folk Songs Old and New | MercurySR – 60770 | Dec. 1962 |
| Anita Carter of the Carter Family | Mercury SR – 60847 | Feb. 1964 |
| So Much Love | Capitol ST – 11075 | 1972 |
| Yesterday | House Of Cash HOC – 1000 | 1995 |
| Appalachian Angel: Her Recordings 1950–1972 & 1996 | Bear Family Records | June 22, 2004 |
Singles chart activity apart from Carter Family
edit| Year | Title | US | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | "Somebody's Cryin'" | N/A | |
| 1951 | "Down the Trail of Achin' Hearts"/" | 2 | duet with Hank Snow |
| 4 | |||
| 1953 | "There'll Be No Teardrops Tonight" | N/A | |
| 1955 | "Pledging my Love" | N/A | as part of 'Nita, Rita & Ruby |
| "That's What Makes the Jukebox Play" | N/A | ||
| "Making Believe" | N/A | ||
| "False Hearted" | N/A | ||
| 1956 | "Keep Your Promise, Willie Thomas" | N/A | duet with Hank Snow |
| "A Tear Fell" | N/A | ||
| "Believe It Or Not" | N/A | ||
| 1957 | "Blue Doll" | N/A | |
| "He's a Real Gone Guy" | N/A | ||
| 1960 | "Mama (Don't Cry at My Wedding)" | N/A | |
| "Tryin' to Forget About You" | N/A | ||
| 1963 | "Ring of Fire" | N/A | |
| "Voice of the Bayou" | N/A | ||
| "Running Back" | N/A | ||
| 1964 | "Little Things Mean a Lot" | N/A | |
| 1965 | "Twelve O'Clock High" | N/A | |
| 1966 | "You Couldn't Get My Love Back (If You Tried)" / "
I'm Gonna Leave You " |
N/A | |
| 44 | |||
| "I've Heard The Wind Blow Before" | N/A | ||
| 1967 | "Love Me Now (While I Am Living)" | 61 | |
| "You Weren't Ashamed to Kiss Me (Last Night)" | N/A | ||
| 1968 | "I Got You" | 4 | duet withWaylon Jennings |
| "Cry Softly" | N/A | ||
| "To Be a Child Again" | 65 | ||
| 1969 | "Coming of the Roads" | 50 | duet withJohnny Darrell |
| 1970 | "Tulsa County" | 41 | |
| 1971 | "Lovin' Him Was Easier"/"
A Whole Lotta Lovin' " |
N/A | |
| 61 |
Selected studio and guest artist appearances
edit| Year | Artist & Title (album unless otherwise noted) | Peak Chart Position | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1949 | Chet Atkins:"Main Street Breakdown" (single) | NA | played bass |
| 1951 | Jimmy Murphysingles including "Electricity", "Mother Where is Your Daughter Tonight", others | na | played bass, she and Murphy were the sole musicians on these sessions |
| 1960 | Connie Smith:Cute 'n' Country | 1 | backing vocals |
| 1963 | Johnny Cashwith the Carter Family:Blood, Sweat and Tears | 80 | duet on "Another Man Done Gone" |
| 1966 | Connie Smith:Great Sacred Songs | 19 | backing vocals |
| 1967 | Porter Wagoner:Soul of a Convict & Other Great Prison Songs | 7 | backing vocals |
| 1967 | Porter Wagoner:Cold Hard Facts of Life | 4 | backing vocals |
| 1968 | Porter Wagoner:Bottom of the Bottle | 19 | backing vocals |
| 1968 | Porter Wagoner &Dolly Parton:Just Between You & Me | 8 | backing vocals; lead vocal on chorus of 1967 single "The Last Thing on My Mind" |
| 1968 | Porter Wagoner & Dolly Parton:Just the Two of Us | 5 | backing vocals |
| 1968 | Dolly Parton:Just Because I'm a Woman | 22 | backing vocals |
| 1969 | Porter Wagoner & Dolly Parton:Always, Always | 5 | backing vocals |
| 1969 | Waylon Jennings:Just to Satisfy You | 7 | two duet vocals |
| 1970 | Porter Wagoner & Dolly Parton:Porter Wayne & Dolly Rebecca | 4 | backing vocals |
| 1980 | Porter Wagoner & Dolly Parton: single "Making Plans" | 2 | backing vocals on original recording, 1968 |
| 1987 | Johnny Cash:Johnny Cash is Coming to Town | 36 | backing vocals with the Carter Family |
| 1991 | Johnny Cash:The Mystery of Life | 70 | backing vocals |
References
edit- ^abcBush, John."Anita Carter Biography".AllMusic.RetrievedJanuary 5,2020.
- ^The Kate Smith Evening Hour- 26 March 1952,National Broadcasting Company, 1952,retrievedOctober 15,2022
- ^"Hank Williams Duets With Anita Carter On 1952 Episode Of 'The Kate Smith Evening Hour'".Country Music Family.RetrievedOctober 15,2022.
- ^"The Kate Smith Evening Hour w/ WSM's Grand Ole Opry Guests, May 21st, 1952 [video recording]".digi.countrymusichalloffame.org.RetrievedOctober 15,2022.
- ^Polatnick, Gordon."Anita Carter".Fuller Up The Dead Musician Directory.Archived fromthe originalon August 25, 2018.RetrievedJanuary 20,2016.