Anita Carter

 ( 1933 Births ) 

Ina Anita Carter (March 31, 1933 – July 29, 1999) was an American singer who played upright bass, guitar, and autoharp. She performed with her sisters, Helen Carter and June, and her mother, Maybelle Carter, initially under the name The Carter Sisters and Mother Maybelle. Carter had three top ten hits as well as other charting singles. She was the first to record the songs "Blue Boy" and "Ring of Fire". Carter was also a songwriter, most notably co-writing the Johnny Cash hit "Rosanna's Going Wild."

Carter recorded for a number of labels, both as a solo artist and with her family, including RCA Victor, Cadence Records, Columbia Records, Audiograph, United Artists, Liberty Records and Capitol Records.

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Biography Anita was the third daughter of Ezra Carter and Maybelle Carter. Born in Maces Spring, Virginia, she scored two top ten hits in 1951 with "Down the Trail of Achin' Hearts" and "Bluebird Island," both duets with Hank Snow. In 1962, she recorded "Love's Ring of Fire," written by her sister June and Merle Kilgore. After the song failed to make the charts, Johnny Cash recorded it as "Ring of Fire" in March 1963 with the horns and the Carter Sisters (along with Mother Maybelle). This version became a hit for Cash.

She reached the top ten again in 1968 with "I Got You," a duet with Waylon Jennings. Carter also reached the top 50 with hits like "I'm Gonna Leave You" in 1966 and "Tulsa County" in 1971.

On March 26, 1952, she appeared on Kate Smith with her family band "The Carter Sisters and Mother Maybelle" as the first women to represent hillbilly/country music and Music City Nashville on national television. On April 23, she returned to the program, where she performed a duet with Hank Williams, on his song "I Can't Help It (If I'm Still in Love with You)". Then on May 21, she became the first female star of the Grand Ole Opry to sing a solo on The Kate Smith Evening Hour when she sang "Just When I Needed You".

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Marriages Carter married fiddler Dale Potter in 1950 (marriage was annulled shortly thereafter), session musician Don Davis in 1953 (divorced and then remarried), and Bob Wootton (lead guitarist for Johnny Cash's band Tennessee Three) in 1974 (divorced). She had two children.

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Death Carter suffered from rheumatoid arthritis for many years, and the drugs used to treat it severely damaged her pancreas, kidneys, and liver. She died on July 29, 1999, at the age of 66, a year after eldest sister Helen and four years before middle sister June. She was under hospice care at the home of Johnny and June Carter Cash in Hendersonville, Tennessee. Her interment was in Hendersonville Memory Gardens in Hendersonville, Tennessee.

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Album discography apart from Carter Family

1957

Nov. 1962

Dec. 1962

Feb. 1964

1972

1995

June 22, 2004

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Singles chart activity apart from Carter Family

1950	"Somebody's Cryin'"	N/A
"Down the Trail of Achin' Hearts"/" Bluebird Island"	duet with Hank Snow
		4
1953	"There'll Be No Teardrops Tonight"	N/A
"Pledging my Love"	as part of 'Nita, Rita & Ruby
"That's What Makes the Jukebox Play"	N/A
"Making Believe"	N/A
"False Hearted"	N/A
1956	"Keep Your Promise, Willie Thomas"	N/A	duet with Hank Snow
	"A Tear Fell"	N/A
	"Believe It Or Not"	N/A
1957	"Blue Doll"	N/A
	"He's a Real Gone Guy"	N/A
1960	"Mama (Don't Cry at My Wedding)"	N/A
	"Tryin' to Forget About You"	N/A
1963	"Ring of Fire"	N/A
	"Voice of the Bayou"	N/A
	"Running Back"	N/A
1964	"Little Things Mean a Lot"	N/A
1965	"Twelve O'Clock High"	N/A
1966	"You Couldn't Get My Love Back (If You Tried)"/" I'm Gonna Leave You"	N/A
	"I've Heard The Wind Blow Before"	N/A
"You Weren't Ashamed to Kiss Me (Last Night)"	N/A
duet with Waylon Jennings
"Cry Softly"	N/A
duet with Johnny Darrell
1971	"Lovin' Him Was Easier"/" A Whole Lotta Lovin'"	N/A

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Selected studio and guest artist appearances

played bass

played bass, she and Murphy were the sole musicians on these sessions

backing vocals

duet on "Another Man Done Gone"

backing vocals

backing vocals

backing vocals

backing vocals

backing vocals; lead vocal on chorus of 1967 single "The Last Thing on My Mind"

backing vocals

backing vocals

backing vocals

two duet vocals

backing vocals

backing vocals on original recording, 1968

backing vocals with the Carter Family

backing vocals

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