Blessed (or cursed, in some ways) by an ongoing association with music royalty through collaboration, marriage and direct family ties, country and roots rock artist Carlene Carter produced three interesting albums during the early '80s that proved she was a bona fide talent even when such links were put aside...
The stepdaughter of a country music legend is in Sun Valley this week. The community is embracing Carlene Carter with gifts and a key to the city. All you country fans out there might recognize this lady by her voice or familiar look. Meet Carlene Carter. "I'm a third generation member of the Carter family. My grandma was Maybelle Carter, my mom is June Carter Cash, or was, probably still is in Heaven, and my father is Carl Smith, my stepfather is Johnny Cash." On Thursday, Sun Valley Mayor Dewayne Briscoe presented Carter with the key to the city. "I was honored and surprised, I don't know why! I'm just so happy about it," adds Carter...
"I was thrilled when Cindy (Cash) asked me to be a part of this. There are bound to be a few versions of "Ring of Fire," including mine that day," laughs (Carlene) Carter, who is currently paying homage to her prodigious country music legacy by recording a compilation album of Carter family songs in Los Angeles. Carter, who refers to her stepdad as "Big John," will perform a solo acoustic set including "It Takes One to Know Me," the song she wrote as a birthday present for Cash when she was 17 (and recorded by her for the first time on her 2008 album, "Stronger"). "He has a massive base of fans that miss him and want to feel close to what he used to bring to them, and this is about as close as we can get, "Carter says. "As his family we have inherited his legacy and it's an honor to be able to celebrate it with his fans."
The daughter of June Carter and her first husband, Carl Smith, (Carlene) Carter has a formidable music legacy of her own. She has released 12 albums and graced the upper echelons of the Billboard country music chart numerous times. In being a latter-day prodigy of The Carter Family, (Johnny) Cash's influence was never too far away during her musical beginnings. "He was a huge influence on me." Carter recalled. "I spent a large majority of my childhood traveling with the Johnny Cash Show. I started my career singing with them on the road. He taught me a lot of songs when I was first starting out that I probably never would have discovered. But it's hard to separate the Johnny Cash legacy from him being my stepdad. But at the same time, that kind of goes hand in hand."
Just about every newspaper and magazine has reflected on 2011; I did that too by concentrating on the good times, most of which involved musical performances. Carlene Carter got the year off to a great start with her show at The Smith. The one-time wild child is the daughter of country greats June Carter and Carl Smith.
A great example of his finger-pickin' lyricism? Take a listen to Carlene Carter's 1991 country hit, "I Fell In Love." It sounds like five guys are playing the solo. "That song was particularly enjoyable for me to play on," said Lee. "It showcased me nicely and I really like the solo I played. Something about the way I finger-pick works well with that sort of groove. And I even got to be in the video." The smiling, elfin dude, with the curly, silver-colored candy-floss hair? That's Lee. There's just one geeky, guitar-oriented detail he'd like you to know. "What I'm holding in the video is a Gold Top Gibson. I used my Fender Telecaster to play the actual solo. But the Gibson looked so cool, had such a '50s-vibe, that it suited the retro look in the video."
Beneath the layers of cosmetics and confections, there is a gifted songwriter who knows how to reach her fans. One of those is Howard Iceberg, a longtime member of the local songwriters scene... "Within the context of what she (Taylor Swift) is trying to do, I think she does it well," Iceberg said... "I am a sucker for anyone who synthesizes rock and country well, which I think she does. In that regard, I put her music on a par with Carlene Carter and Steve Earle."
...Carlene Carter, daughter of June Carter and 1950s country icon Carl Smith, has forged an impressive musical career of her own, recording with late Tom Petty bassist Howie Epstein, marrying UK singer-songwriter Nick Lowe and nabbing a Grammy nomination for her song 'I Fell in Love.' Carlene released numerous albums alternating between Americana rock records and traditional country; her latest was Stronger.
"I've loved her since I Fell In Love [Carter's 1990 album, which yielded the country hit title track single], and a couple years ago I thought it would be so much fun to do a tribute to her in Nashville," says Lang. "So I got a bunch of musician friends together and booked a club -- and it got the attention of Carlene's fan club president, who told Carlene..."
The daughter of June Carter and her first husband, Carl Smith, Carlene Carter has followed in her mother’s footsteps, releasing twelve albums to date including two that are ranked Gold in Canada – I Fell in Love and Little Love Letters; and scoring hits with more than twenty singles including “Every Little Thing,” “I Fell in Love,” and “Come on Back.”
Carlene Carter's show last night at Joe's Pub underscored one of the great redemption stories in the history of country music. "I know in my life I've done a lot of things," she conceded early on, alluding to the "crooked path" of a legendary life and career full of equal parts success and tragedy...
The night was filled with highlights, including a show-and-tell segment where she pulled out a red miniskirt she used to comfortably fit into -- she joked that when she used to tour regularly, she only needed a suitcase the size of a makeup trunk because her clothes were so small!) -- as well as the famed see-through plastic mini she wore at the Bottom Line the night she uttered the immortal...
A third-generation member of the first family of country, Carlene Carter belongs to musical royalty. As the granddaughter of Maybelle Carter, daughter of June Carter and Carl Smith, and step-daughter of Johnny Cash, Carlene has, for more than 30 years, forged the same type of trailblazing music as her forebears. She merged country and rock ‘n' roll - beginning with ex-hubby Nick Lowe - more than a decade before such blending became trendy in Nashville. Since her debut album in 1978, Carlene has not only kept the family tradition alive, but taken it in creative and rebellious directions.
Carlene Carter has some cool New York stories. The singer/songwriter daughter of late country legends June Carter and Carl Smith says her mother told her that when she was an infant, none other than "Elvis used to push me around Central Park in a baby carriage." She admits with a laugh, that "mama could stretch the truth," but says she's "pretty sure" the tale is true...
Most folks whose biographies read like Carlene Carter’s aren’t around to enjoy their talent in later life...
Tickets to Carlene Carter are sold out. The country star, daughter of June Carter and Carl Smith, and stepdaughter of Johnny Cash, is playing at Festival Place on Saturday at 7:30 p.m...
Carlene Carter's upcoming show at Joe's Pub kicks off what the country music heiress/diva hopes will be a big year...
As one of the Carter girls, Carlene was kicking and screaming alt-country/Americana before you could crawl. She’s worked the room as a rock chick too...
Country comrades Carlene Carter and Tammy Faye Starlite will be appearing at Joe's Pub on Wednesday, January 26th for an evening of classic country...
Carlene Carter and Tammy Faye Starlite will be appearing at Joe's Pub in New York City on Wednesday, January 26th for a very special evening of classic country, mixed with performance art and an examination of the roots of the Appalachian art form...
"We'd have this thing where you'd sing for your supper," she explains. "You'd pass the guitar and play a song, or tell a story, tell a joke. It was really fun, because all these incredible people would be there. One time, Paul McCartney sat down at my tick-tack piano and played 'Lady Madonna', and I went, 'holy shit!' How do I follow that?"
Carlene Carter is one of the most underrated hillbilly lady singers of all time. Her L.A. appearances are almost as rare as world peace, so here's your chance to catch her live and donate a few bucks to your fellow human beings...
ROYALTY, musical or otherwise, does not come much more down to earth than Carlene Carter...
Walk The Line told the story of Johnny Cash and his tempestuous love affair with the woman who was to become his wife - singer/songwriter June Carter. One person who watched at close quarters the courtship between Cash and Carter was June’s daughter (from her marriage to singer Carl Smith) Carlene Carter...
With country great Johnny Cash for a stepfather and June Carter Cash as her mother, Carlene Carter embodies a tradition that a large crowd turned out to honour on Thursday...