The Carter Family

USA, 1927–1956

American country group of A.P., Sara and Maybelle Carter, recording from 1927. Their repertoire became a standard source for later country and folk performers, and Maybelle's thumb-brush guitar technique was widely copied.

MusicRoots documents 0 artists who influenced The Carter Family and 8 artists The Carter Family influenced in turn. Every connection cites a published source.

Which artists did The Carter Family influence?

• Hank Williams — The Carter Family's recordings were foundational for Hank Williams, who grew up listening to them on the radio.
• Bob Dylan — The Carter Family was part of the folk canon Dylan absorbed early in his career — real American music, simple, deep, honest.
• Bill Monroe — The Carter Family were the folk canon from which Monroe drew repertoire and harmonic language in shaping bluegrass.
• The Delmore Brothers — The Carter Family were the model of close family harmony on which the Delmore Brothers' vocal style was formed.
• Woody Guthrie — Guthrie set his songs to Carter Family melodies — 'This Land Is Your Land' uses the tune of their 'When the World's on Fire'.
• Johnny Cash — The Carter Family's songbook was Cash's childhood scripture — he married into the family and carried their repertoire for life.
• Dolly Parton — The Appalachian ballad tradition her mother sang to her — narrative, unadorned, moralised at the end — reached her through the family and through the records that codified it.
• Kitty Wells — She took her stage name from one of their songs, and the melody of the record that made her — 'It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels' — is theirs too.