Family Ties That Bind

Country music has long been a staple in my life.  I grew up listening to it, I grew up reading about it, I grew up watching it on TV.  It's been in my family for many generations and as such, I've recently felt a kinship of sorts to the families that have been making country music for generations, even before it was officially known as "country music."

The Carter Family is widely regarded as the First Family of Country Music.  It was their origninal sound created in the backwoods of the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia and first recorded on August 2, 1927 in Bristol, Tennessee that initiated arguably the most influential music career in history.  Songs such as "Keep on the Sunny Side", "Meet Me in the Moonlight Alone", "Will You Miss Me When I'm Gone" and the seminal "Will The Circle Be Unbroken?" are cornerstones of the country music, and subsequently, folk and Americana genres.  The writings and recordings of A.P., Sara and Maybelle Carter have stood the test of time and have earned them their rightful place in both the Rock and Roll and Country Music Halls of Fame.

The second generation of the Carter Family is perhaps better known in the mainstream.   When the "Original" Carter Family of A.P., Sara and Maybelle ceased recording in the 1940's, Maybelle began recording with her daughters June, Helen and Anita.  It was this incarnation of the Carter Family that toured for many years with Johnny Cash.  It was only until watching a recent episode of Austin City Limits that I realized how important this chain of events has become.

Setting up the performance of her next song, Johnny's daughter from a previous marriage, the incomparable Roseanne Cash was telling a story about touring with her father's show at age 18.  It was during this time that the Carter Family was a staple of the Johnny Cash Show as they toured the world.  Roseanne had mentioned that during this time as she was finding her way as a singer-songwriter, she had the opportunity to learn how to play the guitar from one of the masters, Helen Carter.  It was during this time that seemingly a torch had been passed.  As Roseanne stated, Helen Carter more or less taught her "the entire Carter Family lexicon."  If you think of that statement and realize that there are only a few people left in the world who can say in all honestly that they learned to play guitar from a member of the Carter Family, that becomes an enormous statement.

In recent years, Roseanne Cash has stated that she is now at a place in her life where she is prepared to accept, and indeed accepting, of her musical and family legacy.  She seems to have a new purpose where there is a commitment to ensuring the history of her family and their music is front and centre.  She seems to have a new appreciation for her relationship with her iconic father and the influence he has played in her career.  With her hits at radio behind her (and there were a lot of them), and the long held desire to make the music she believes in making, we are all the better for it.  A new generation will benefit greatly from another legendary extension of the Carter family as she takes us on her journey of musical and family discovery.

Click here to see Roseanne Cash performing "Bury Me Beneath The Weeping Willow"