Picture of the day - June 17, 2007

Janette Carter's Grave

The air was hot and muggy yesterday afternoon as Cheria and I drove up the steep, winding lane leading to the cemetery at Mount Vernon United Methodist Church in rural Scott County, Virginia. At first glance, Mount Vernon is really nothing special as cemeteries go, just a rectangular open area in the woods on top of a hill with several rows of neatly arranged headstones. But this is no ordinary cemetery... Among the relative handful of folks who have been laid to rest here over the years are several of the music world's most influential pioneers: the family of A.P. and Sara Carter of the original Carter Family. Along with Mother Maybelle Carter, in the 1920's A.P. and Sara brought the beautiful music of the Appalachians out of the "hills and hollers" and into the living rooms of mainstream America, helping a handful of other musical giants give birth to what we know today as Country Music. The Carter Family gave the world the gift of hundreds of wonderful songs, many of which have become timeless favorites such as "Will The Circle Be Unbroken" and "Wildwood Flower". Their music has brought hope and comfort to millions during an era that began with the Great Depression and continues even today. They were amazing folks, and we all owe them a huge debt of gratitude for the musical legacy that they have left for us to enjoy. The last surviving member of the original Carter Family passed away in January 2006 at the age of 82. Janette Carter was the daughter of A.P. and Sara Carter, and right before her famous father passed away in 1960 he asked her to do whatever she could to help keep his beloved Mountain Music alive. Well, she did that and more by working with her baby brother Joe to build and operate the world-famous Carter Family Fold in Hiltons, Virginia. From 1979 until a just a few weeks before she died, Janette hosted the Fold's weekly Old-Time Music Show each and every Saturday night. And although she grew quite weak and frail in her later years, her drive and determination to keep her promise to her dying daddy never did. Janette Carter was a good woman with a big heart, and she is greatly missed by everyone who had the good fortune to know her, either personally or through her amazing work. That walk through Mount Vernon Cemetery under the scorching southwest Virginia sun lasted but a couple of minutes, but the amazing ride that the Carter Family has given the music world will likely never end. And thanks to Janette, her daughter Rita and son Dale (who have pledged to carry on her work at the fold), we can enjoy that wonderful Carter Family sound live and in person every Saturday night.   Visit the POTD Archives for previous "Pictures Of The Day"!     Submit a photo of your own!            Why I publish the "Picture of the Day"