Misplaced Pages

#565434

53-533: They were the first vocal group to become country music stars, and were among the first groups to record commercially produced country music. Their first recordings were made in Bristol, Tennessee , for the Victor Talking Machine Company under producer Ralph Peer on August 1, 1927. This was the day before country singer Jimmie Rodgers made his initial recordings for Victor under Peer. The success of

106-590: A contraction of Minor League Baseball beginning with the 2021 season, the Appalachian League, in which the Pirates played, was reorganized as a collegiate summer baseball league , and the Pirates were replaced by a new franchise in the revamped league designed for rising college freshman and sophomores. Bristol Tennessee City Schools operates public schools serving almost all of the city, with Tennessee High School being its public high school. Small sections are in

159-758: A copyright. On November 4, 1927, the Victor Talking Machine Company (later RCA Victor ) released a double-sided 78 rpm record of the group performing "Wandering Boy" and "Poor Orphan Child". On December 2, 1928, Victor released "The Storms Are on the Ocean" / " Single Girl, Married Girl ", which became very popular. By the end of 1930, the Carter Family had sold 300,000 records in the United States. Realizing that he would benefit financially with each new song he collected and copyrighted , A.P. traveled around southwestern Virginia to find new songs; he also composed new songs. In

212-602: A full-time job with the Vaughan Music Company. This position afforded greater financial security for the family. Also in the mid 1920s/early 1930s, two more siblings, Mary Tom Speer (1925-2014) and Ben Speer (1930-2017), joined the group. In 1941, James Vaughan died, and the Speer family left his company. During his time at the Vaughan Company, "Dad" Speer wrote or co-wrote more than 600 songs. After leaving, they joined

265-486: A higher technical level, but all acknowledge Maybelle's playing as their inspiration. It has been noted that "by the end of the twenties, Maybelle Carter scratch ... was the most widely imitated guitar style in music. Nobody did as much to popularize the guitar, because from the beginning, her playing was distinctive as any voice." The Carter Family was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1970 and were given

318-428: A hit all over again in these other incarnations. The original group consisted of Sara Carter , her husband A. P. Carter , and her sister-in-law Maybelle Carter . Maybelle was Sara's first cousin, and was married to A.P.'s brother Ezra Carter (Eck). All three were born and raised in southwest Virginia . They were immersed in the tight harmonies of mountain gospel music and shape note singing. The latter dated to

371-491: A population of 307,614 in 2020. The metro area is a component of the larger Tri-Cities region of Tennessee and Virginia, with a population of 508,260 in 2020. Bristol is known for being the site of some of the earliest commercial recordings of country music , showcasing Jimmie Rodgers and the Carter Family , and later a favorite venue of mountain musician Uncle Charlie Osborne . The U.S. Congress recognized Bristol as

424-549: Is a city in Sullivan County, Tennessee , United States. The population was 27,147 at the 2020 census . It is the twin city of Bristol, Virginia , which lies directly across the state line between Tennessee and Virginia . The boundary between the two cities is also the state line, which runs along State Street in their common downtown district. It is a principal city in the Kingsport–Bristol metropolitan area , which had

477-589: Is the location of Bristol Motor Speedway , a motorsports venue that hosts several NASCAR events. It is also home to Bristol Dragway, which hosts the Ford Thunder Valley Nationals, an NHRA national event. A Pittsburgh Pirates rookie Minor League Baseball affiliate, the Bristol Pirates , played its home games at DeVault Memorial Stadium in Bristol, Virginia, from 1969 to 2020. In conjunction with

530-582: Is the municipal law enforcement agency for the city. The department has 73 sworn officers and 27 civilian support staff. It also makes use of citizen volunteers as an auxiliary staff, which saves the department over $ 100,000 annually. Speer Family The Speer Family was a Southern gospel family musical group. It was founded in 1921 by George Thomas ("Dad") Speer (1891–1966), his wife, Lena Darling ("Mom") Speer (née Brock; 1899–1967), and his sister and brother-in-law, Pearl Claborn (1902–1979) and Logan Claborn (William Logan Claborn; 1896–1981). Harold Lane

583-783: Is −21 °F (−29 °C), set on January 21, 1985 , while the all-time record high is 103 °F (39 °C), set on June 30, 2012 . Precipitation is low compared to much of East Tennessee, averaging 41.0 inches (1,040 mm) annually, and reaches a low during autumn. The rainiest calendar day on record is October 16, 1964, when 3.65 inches (93 mm) of rain fell; monthly precipitation has ranged from 0.02 inches (0.51 mm) in October 2002 to 12.70 inches (323 mm) in July 2012. Bristol's normal (1981–2010) winter snowfall stands at 13.3 inches (34 cm), significantly more than what most of Tennessee receives. The most snow in one calendar day

SECTION 10

#1732847691566

636-720: The Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award . Keep on the Sunny Side , a musical play chronicling the Carter Family's rise to stardom, premiered at the Barter Theatre in Abingdon, Virginia , in 2001. Conceived and written by Douglas Pote, the play enjoyed a multiyear run, a national tour spanning 23 states, and an original cast recording ; the Barter has also mounted numerous revivals amid lasting popularity. Renewed attention to

689-553: The National Register of Historic Places as components of the Carter Family Thematic Resource. In 2017, the Carter Family's story was told in the award-winning documentary series American Epic . The film featured unseen film footage of The Carter Family performing and being interviewed, and radically improved restorations of their 1920s recordings. Director Bernard MacMahon commented that "we first came to

742-536: The Sullivan County School District . Television: Note-WEMT is licensed to Greeneville, Tennessee , but co-located with sister station WCYB-TV . The Bristol Fire Department has 82 full-time and six part-time employees. It responds to over 5,000 calls per year and has five stations. The department is accredited by the Commission on Fire Accreditation International. The Bristol Police Department

795-469: The United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 29.5 square miles (76.4 km ), of which 29.4 square miles (76.1 km ) are land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km ) (0.44%) is covered by water. Like much of the rest of the state, Bristol has a humid subtropical climate ( Köppen climate classification : Cfa ), although with significantly cooler temperatures, especially in

848-575: The "Birthplace of Country Music" in 1998, and the Birthplace of Country Music Museum is located nearby in Bristol, Virginia . It also is the birthplace of Tennessee Ernie Ford . Bristol is the site of Bristol Motor Speedway , a NASCAR short track . The world's fifth-largest coal producer, Contura Energy , is based in Bristol. Before 1852, the land where Bristol is located was owned by Reverend James King . His son-in-law, Joseph R. Anderson of Blountville, Tennessee , bought 100 acres (40 ha) of

901-486: The 1960s during the height of folk music 's popularity. A film documentary about the family, Sunny Side of Life , was released in 1985. In 1987, reunited sisters June Carter Cash and Helen and Anita Carter, along with June's daughter Carlene Carter , appeared as the Carter Family. They were featured on a 1987 television episode of Austin City Limits , along with June's husband Johnny Cash . The Carter Family name

954-539: The Carter Family tune "When I'm Gone" occurred after several covers performed a cappella with a cup used to provide percussion, as in the cup game and dubbed the Cups song , went viral and culminated with a short performance in the movie Pitch Perfect . Afterwards it was released as a single by Anna Kendrick . The A. P. and Sara Carter House , A. P. Carter Homeplace , A. P. Carter Store , Maybelle and Ezra Carter House , and Mt. Vernon Methodist Church are listed on

1007-497: The Carter Family's recordings of songs such as " Wabash Cannonball ", " Can the Circle Be Unbroken ", " Wildwood Flower ", " Keep on the Sunny Side ", and " I'm Thinking Tonight of My Blue Eyes " made these songs country standards. The melody of the last was used for Roy Acuff 's " The Great Speckled Bird ", Hank Thompson 's " The Wild Side of Life " and Kitty Wells ' " It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels ". The song became

1060-459: The Carter Family. In the winter of 1938–39, the Carter Family traveled to Texas , where they had a twice-daily program on the border radio station XERA (later XERF ) in Villa Acuña (now Ciudad Acuña, Mexico ), across the border from Del Rio, Texas . In the 1939–40 season, the children of A.P. and Sara ( Janette and Joe Carter ) and those of Maybelle ( Helen , June , and Anita ) joined

1113-857: The Carter Sisters" or "Mother Maybelle and the Carter Sisters"). In 1943, Maybelle Carter and her daughters, using the name "the Carter Sisters and Mother Maybelle" had a program on WRNL in Richmond, Virginia . Maybelle's brother, Hugh Jack (Doc) Addington Jr., and Carl McConnell, known as the Original Virginia Boys, also played music and sang on the radio show. Chet Atkins joined them playing electric guitar in 1949 at WNOX radio in Knoxville, Tennessee . He moved with them in October 1949 to KWTO radio in Springfield, Missouri . Opry management didn't want

SECTION 20

#1732847691566

1166-527: The Carters through their records, but one of the other things that struck us about them is that they were involved in both of the main waves of America hearing itself for the first time. They made their first impact in that early wave of rural recordings, and then the next stage was the arrival of radio, and in the late 1930s, they went to Texas and were on XERA, a border station based in Mexico that could be heard all over

1219-604: The Carters to bring Chet when they were offered a regular spot on the Grand Ole Opry but Ezra Carter (their father and manager) insisted that Chet come with them, as he was a part of their troupe or band now. Finally the Opry management agreed and Chet went with them when they were hired by WSM and the Grand Ole Opry; their first day was May 29, 1950. Chet worked with them when they did "personals" off and on for 8 years, but mostly on

1272-710: The Speer Family's best-known songs. Another group was formed in 2018 by Brock and Faye's son Brian Speer and his wife Allison Durham Speer, they were joined by bass singer Mike Allen and relatively new singer Ben Waites to form the New Speer Family. They have recorded one album titled "A Singing Heritage" Several other notable Southern Gospel singers have been part of the Speer Family including Ann Downing , Sue Dodge , Jeanne Johnson, Daryl Williams and Ginger Laxson. GMA Dove Award for Mixed Group of The Year (1969-70-71-72-73-74-75-76-77) (The awards for 1971 were nullified; had

1325-830: The Speers included inclusion in the Alabama Music Hall of Fame, receiving the Southern Gospel Music Guild's Heritage Award, and receiving 14 Dove Awards . The group's recording of "I'm Standing on the Solid Rock" has the distinction of having the longest tenure as the top song on the Singing News chart of popular Southern Gospel recordings. Mary Tom Speer-Reid died on September 16, 2014, aged 89. Faye Speer died on October 13, 2015, aged 86. Ben Speer died on April 7, 2017, at age 86. A month later, Rosa Nell Speer-Powell, who

1378-511: The Stamps-Baxter company, a Vaughan competitor, and also became a regular performer on the WSFA radio station. George Thomas "Dad" Speer died in 1966 and Lena "Mom" Speer died in 1967. Pearl and Logan Claborn died in 1979 and 1981 respectively. The group, led by brothers Brock (died March 29, 1999, at age 78 ) and Ben , underwent various configurations over the next several decades. Ben retired from

1431-527: The age of 18 living with them, 49.0% were married couples living together, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.9% were not families. Nearly 32% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26, and the average family size was 2.84. In the city, the age distribution was 21.1% under 18, 9.1% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 24.7% from 45 to 64, and 17.9% who were 65 or older. The median age

1484-523: The birthplace of country music. Bristol is located in the northeast corner of Tennessee, at 36°34′9″N 82°11′51″W  /  36.56917°N 82.19750°W  / 36.56917; -82.19750 (36.569135, −82.197489). Bristol is located 20.95 miles east of Kingsport, Tennessee , 21.51 miles northeast of Johnson City, Tennessee , 38.74 miles northwest of Boone, North Carolina , 105.96 miles northeast of Knoxville, Tennessee , and 132.61 miles southwest of Roanoke, Virginia . According to

1537-536: The central and western United States." The Carter Family's story was profiled in the accompanying book, American Epic: The First Time America Heard Itself . Selected 78 rpm records: The Carter Family's career predated any sort of best-selling chart of country music records. ( Billboard did not have a country best sellers chart until 1944.) Below is a select list of their 78 rpm releases. Victor Records Montgomery Ward Records Decca Records Vocalion Records Bristol, Tennessee Bristol

1590-441: The city. The population density in 2000 was 846 people per square mile (326.5/km ). The 11,511 housing units averaged 392.2 per square mile (151.4/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 95.15% White, 2.97% African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.64% Asian, 0.24% from other races, and 0.70% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 0.68% of the population. Of the 10,648 households, 26.2% had children under

1643-560: The early 1930s, he befriended Lesley "Esley" Riddle , a black guitar player from Kingsport, Tennessee . Lesley accompanied A.P. on his song-collecting trips. In June 1931, the Carters did a recording session in Benton, Kentucky , along with Jimmie Rodgers . In 1933, Maybelle met the Speer Family at a fair in Ceredo, West Virginia , fell in love with their signature sound, and asked them to tour with

Carter Family - Misplaced Pages Continue

1696-515: The early 19th century and revivals in the South. Throughout the group's career, Sara Carter sang lead vocals and played rhythm guitar or autoharp . Maybelle sang harmony and played lead guitar. On some songs A.P. did not perform at all; on some songs he sang harmony and background vocals, and occasionally he sang lead. Maybelle's distinctive guitar-playing style became a hallmark of the group. Her Carter Scratch (a method for playing both lead and rhythm on

1749-411: The family's repertoire of songs was Maybelle's guitar playing. She developed her innovative guitar technique largely in isolation; her style is today widely known as the "Carter scratch" or " Carter Family picking ". While Maybelle did use a flatpick on occasion, her major method of guitar playing was the use of her thumb (with a thumbpick) along with one or two fingers. What her guitar style accomplished

1802-535: The first recordings by Jimmie Rodgers. Since 1994, the Birthplace of Country Music Alliance has promoted the city as a destination to learn about country music and the city's role in the creation of an entire music genre. The alliance is organizing the building of a new Cultural Heritage Center to help educate the public about the history of country music in the region. On August 1, 2014, the Birthplace of Country Music Museum opened in Bristol, Virginia to commemorate

1855-969: The group for radio performances, by then in San Antonio, Texas . Here the programs were prerecorded and distributed to multiple border radio stations. (The children did not, however, perform on the group's records.) In the fall of 1942, the Carters moved their program to WBT radio in Charlotte, North Carolina , for a one-year contract. They occupied the sunrise slot, with the program airing between 5:15 and 6:15 a.m. By 1936, A.P. and Sara's marriage had dissolved. After Sara married A.P.'s cousin, Coy Bayes, they moved to California . The Carter Family disbanded in 1944. Maybelle continued to perform with her daughters Anita Carter , June Carter , and Helen Carter and recorded on 3 labels (RCA Victor, Columbia and Coronet) as " The Carter Sisters and Mother Maybelle " (sometimes billed as "The Carter Sisters" or "Maybelle Carter and

1908-709: The group full-time. In the late 1920s, the group established a working relationship with the James David Vaughan Music Company, selling songbooks. However, the group's success proved to be insufficient to support two families' budgets. In 1925, Logan and Pearl Claborn left the group; Logan returned to his job as a carpenter. To fill the void, "Dad" Speer enlisted 5-year-old Brock Speer and 3-year-old Rosa Nell Speer to sing with him and his wife. The group's concerts featured several duet songs by "Dad" and "Mom" Speer, and several songs with Brock singing alto and Rosa Nell singing lead. In 1934, "Dad" Speer accepted

1961-600: The group in 1993 although he did appear on occasion with the group until Brock officially retired the Speer Family at the 1998 National Quartet Convention. Ben Speer continued to be involved in Southern Gospel music as the Music Director of the Gaither Homecoming Series, and as owner of Ben Speer's Stamps-Baxter School of Music, a Southern Gospel singing school, up until his death in 2017, which continues under

2014-449: The guitar) has become one of the most copied styles of guitar playing. The group (in all its incarnations, see below) recorded for a number of labels, including RCA Victor (and subsidiary label, Bluebird), ARC group, Columbia, Okeh and various imprint labels. The Carter Family made their first recordings on August 1, 1927. The previous day, A.P. Carter had persuaded his wife Sara Carter and his sister-in-law Maybelle Carter to make

2067-539: The historical significance of the Bristol sessions . The museum features a 24,000-ft building that houses core exhibits, space for special exhibits, a performance theater, and a radio station. Every year, during the third weekend in September, a music festival called the Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion takes place. The festival is held downtown, where Tennessee and Virginia meet, and it celebrates Bristol's heritage as

2120-458: The journey from Maces Spring, Virginia , to Bristol, Tennessee , to audition for record producer Ralph Peer . Peer was seeking new talent for the relatively embryonic recording industry. The initial sessions are part of what are now called the Bristol Sessions . The band received $ 50 for each song recorded, plus a half-cent royalty on every copy sold of each song for which they had registered

2173-430: The live Grand Ole Opry performances. A.P., Sara, and their children Joe and Janette recorded 3 albums in the 1950s under the name of The A.P. Carter Family. After the death of A.P. Carter in 1960, Mother Maybelle Carter and the Carter Sisters began using the name "the Carter Family" for their act during the 1960s and 1970s. Maybelle and Sara briefly reunited, recorded a reunion album ( An Historic Reunion ), and toured in

Carter Family - Misplaced Pages Continue

2226-444: The local sound of traditional "folk" music of the region. One of these local sounds was created by the Carter Family, who got their start on July 31, 1927, when A.P. Carter and his family journeyed from Maces Spring, Virginia , to Bristol to audition for Ralph Peer, who was seeking new talent for the relatively embryonic recording industry. They received $ 50 for each song they recorded. That same visit by Peer to Bristol also resulted in

2279-541: The nickname "The First Family of Country Music". In 1988, the Carter Family was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and received its Award for the song "Will the Circle Be Unbroken". In 1993, the U.S. Postal Service issued a commemorative postage stamp honoring A.P., Sara, and Maybelle . In 2001, the group was inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Honor . In 2005, the group received

2332-595: The ownership of son Stephen. Ben, Mary Tom , Rosa Nell and Faye continued to make appearances in Gaither Homecoming videos. The group was inducted into the Gospel Music Association's Hall of Fame in 1998, following individual inductions for "Dad" Speer (1971); "Mom" Speer (1972); Brock Speer (1975); and Ben Speer (1995). The Speer Family was the first group to receive the Gospel Music Association 's Lifetime Achievement Award. Other recognition for

2385-523: The plantation and named it Bristol. The G.W. Blackley House , one of the oldest houses in Bristol, was constructed in 1869. The U.S. Congress declared Bristol to be the "Birthplace of Country Music", according to a resolution passed in 1998, recognizing its contributions to early country music recordings and influence, and the Birthplace of Country Music Museum is located in Bristol. In 1927 , record producer Ralph Peer of Victor Records began recording local musicians in Bristol , to attempt to capture

2438-466: The summer, due to elevation; it is part of USDA hardiness zone 6b, with areas to the southwest falling in zone 7a. The normal monthly mean temperature ranges from 35.2 °F (1.8 °C) in January to 74.6 °F (23.7 °C) in July, while, on average, 8.8 days have temperatures at or below freezing and 17 days with highs at or above 90 °F (32 °C) per year. The all-time record low

2491-485: Was 16.2 inches (41 cm) on November 21, 1952, while the most in one month is 27.9 inches (71 cm) during March 1960, which contributed to the winter of 1959–60, with a total of 51.0 inches (130 cm), finishing as the snowiest on record. As of the 2020 United States census , there were 27,147 people, 11,450 households, and 6,808 families residing in the city. As of the census of 2000, 24,821 people, 10,648 households, and 6,825 families were residing in

2544-493: Was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.3 males. The median income for a household in the city was $ 30,039, and for a family was $ 37,341. Males had a median income of $ 28,210 versus $ 21,173 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 18,535. About 11.5% of families and 15.0% of the population were below the poverty line , including 19.4% of those under age 18 and 12.0% of those age 65 or over. Bristol

2597-408: Was also a member of this group. Both George Thomas and Lena came from musical families. G.T. and Lena began the group to supplement their income, which otherwise came from farming. Before them, almost all gospel groups were made up solely of men. The Speer Family are considered pioneers in featuring women singers. Within two years, the group had become so successful that G.T. Speer decided to make

2650-458: Was also a semi-regular performing member of the Carter Family. Third Generation family member Carlene Carter (granddaughter of Maybelle Carter) had ventured into pop music before becoming part of the 1987 Carter Family's second generation revival. June Carter and her sisters were distant cousins of U.S. president Jimmy Carter . This family tree shows the extended Carter family back four generations. Notes: As important to country music as

2703-451: Was revived for a third time, under the name Carter Family III . It was a project of descendants of the original Carter Family, John Carter Cash (grandson of Maybelle Carter, son of June Carter Cash and Johnny Cash) and Dale Jett (grandson of A.P. and Sara Carter), along with John's wife Laura (Weber) Cash . They released their first album, Past & Present , in 2010. Rosie Nix Adams , daughter of June Carter Cash and her second husband,

SECTION 50

#1732847691566

2756-428: Was the last survivor of the original Speer Family, died on May 16, 2017, at the age of 94. Since the retirement of the Speer Family in 1998, two spin-off groups have been created. The New Speer Revival was a short-lived group formed in the early 2000s by former Speer Family members Marc Speer and former soprano Karen Apple. They recorded one album titled "Carrying On The Tradition" which featured recordings of some of

2809-548: Was to allow her to play melody lines (on the low strings of the guitar) while still maintaining rhythm using her fingers, brushing across the higher strings. Before the Carter family's recordings, the guitar was rarely used as a lead or solo instrument among musicians. Maybelle's interweaving of a melodic line on the bass strings with intermittent strums is now a staple of steel string guitar technique. Flatpickers such as Doc Watson , Clarence White and Norman Blake took flatpicking to

#565434