Born on This Day in 1933, the Artist Who Recorded Johnny Cash’s Biggest Hit First and Was Among the First Women To Represent Country Music on Television

Ninety-three years ago today, Anita Carter was born in Maces Spring, Virginia. She was the youngest daughter of “Mother” Maybelle and Ezra Carter and the sister of Helen and June Carter. She initially rose to fame as a member of The Carter Sisters and Mother Maybelle in the 1950s. Together, they were the first women of country music to represent the genre on television. Later, she became the first artist to record “Ring of Fire,” which later became Johnny Cash’s biggest hit.

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The Carter Family was country music’s first popular group. Made up of Maybelle, Sara, and A.P. Carter, the group became a national sensation after pressing popular records during the historic recording sessions in Bristol, Tennessee, in 1927. Just under 20 years later, the group disbanded when A.P. and Sara chose to retire. Later that year, Maybelle formed a new group with her daughters. The Carter Sisters and Mother Maybelle began recording in 1949. In 1960, A.P. Carter died, and Maybelle changed the name of the group to The Carter Family, according to AllMusic.

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The group appeared on the hit NBC variety show The Kate Smith Evening Hour on March 26, 1952. That evening, many members of the Grand Ole Opry cast made their network television debut. At the same time, The Carter Sisters and Mother Maybelle became the first women to represent country music on a national TV broadcast. They returned to the show on April 23. That evening, Anita sang “I Can’t Help It (If I’m Still in Love with You)” with Hank Williams during his final TV appearance.

Anita Carter’s Solo Career

While she got her start with her mother and sisters and continued to record with them for years to come, Anita Carter also had a solo career. She released four solo albums and one collaborative LP with Hank Snow before her death from rheumatoid arthritis in 1999.

She and Snow had two top 10 hits in 1951. “Down the Trail of Achin’ Hearts” peaked at No. 2. Then, the single’s B-side, “Bluebird Island,” reached No. 4 on the country chart.

Carter had another top 10 hit in 1968 with “I Got You,” a duet with Waylon Jennings.

Carter released her debut album, Folk Songs Old and New, in 1962. It contained a song called “(Love’s) Ring of Fire,” penned by her sister, June, and Merle Kilgore. The song didn’t perform for her. So, a year later, her future brother-in-law, Johnny Cash, recorded a version of the song and released it as a single. Cash’s rendition spent seven weeks at the top of the country chart and reached No. 17 on the Hot 100, giving the Man in Black his biggest hit. The Carter Family sang backup on the recording, and Mother Maybelle played autoharp.

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