The Carter Family Fold

At the foot of Clinch Mountain in the tiny southwestern Virginia community of Hiltons sits a rather plain looking wooden building. It sprawls out on a hillside, and if you were driving by and happened to miss the sign you would think it was a barn. But trust me, this amazing building is like no other “barn” you have ever seen.
 
The Carter Family Fold was the brainchild of Janette Carter, daughter of A.P. and Sara who along with “Mother Maybelle” comprised the original Carter Family music group. The Carter Family changed the world of music forever in the late 1920′s and early 1930′s by creating a sound that would later influence many generations of singers and musicians in all genres.
 
A.P. Carter wrote or acquired the rights to hundreds of timeless mountain songs, a number of which have been recorded by literally dozens of singers and bands over the years. While on his deathbed in 1960, Mr. Carter asked a tearful Janette to promise to do everything she could to help keep the Carter Family’s music alive, and towards that end she and her “little” brother Joe established the Carter Fold in 1979.
 
From the Fold’s opening day until shortly before her January 2006 death, Janette welcomed a very large and enthusiastic crowd into the “country” concert hall every Saturday night, and not once did they leave feeling as if they had failed to get their money’s worth.

These days Janette’s daughter Rita Forrester hosts the weekly shows, but you can still get in for just $5 – the bargain of all bargains considering the superb level of entertainment provided each week!
 
Cheria and I had the opportunity to attend last night’s show, and as always we hated for the fun to stop when 10:15 rolled around. The McLain Family provided the entertainment, but I’m sure that Janette herself provided the inspiration and guidance that Rita used to run the show and keep her famous grandparents’ music alive.
 
Folks from all over the country and around the world descend upon the Carter Family Fold every Saturday night, and when they leave they always take a little bit of Janette’s southern charm and a better understanding of the Carter Family’s legacy along with them. Wonderful people and great music…what could possibly be better than that?