Carlene Carter Fan Club: News

From the L.A. Times: Several veteran L.A. musicians with a strong affinity for country music are banding together to play a benefit June 24 at the Echo to raise funds for the Recording Academy’s MusiCares Nashville Flood Relief Fund. Dave Alvin, Exene Cervenka, Syd Straw and others will join country music scion Carlene Carter, the daughter of June Carter and her first husband, Carl Smith, at the show in Echo Park.

Carlene's father Carl Smith passed away on Saturday, January 16, at his home in Franklin, Tennessee at the age of 82. Visitation and funeral services were held on the following Monday and Tuesday, with many family members, friends, and fans attending to pay their respects.

The service was officiated by Grand Ole Opry and WSM radio announcer Eddie Stubbs, who shared the podium with one of Mr. Smith's sons, followed by Kix Brooks (of Brooks & Dunn), who first asked Mr. Smith's long-time friend Little Jimmy Dickens to speak. All three told humorous and touching stories of the father and friend they knew and loved, with some of Mr. Smith's recordings played throughout, including a moving gospel number with The Carter Family.

Other stars at the visitation and funeral included Gail Davies and son Chris Scruggs, Ralph Emery, Vince Gill, Jan Howard, James Intveld, Jeannie Seely, Connie Smith and husband Marty Stuart; Carlene and many of her family including husband Joe Breen, children Tiffany and Jackson, sisters Lori Lynn Smith, Kathy and Cindy Cash, brothers Dean Smith, Carl Smith Jr., and John Carter Cash, cousin Lorrie Davis Bennett (daughter of Anita Carter), and many more.

The closed casket was surrounded by floral arrangements from family, friends, and fans including Jessi Colter and the family of Waylon Jennings, George Jones, C.C. Fan Club member Birgit Saehrendt in Germany, and the Franklin Police Department, SWAT, and K9 Units, with many of their officers present. Also on display were photos of Mr. Smith's early career as a country singer, with wife Goldie Hill, and later images of the cowboy that he became when he retired from the music business to raise and show horses, all calling to mind something Mr. Smith was quoted as saying in 2003: “Call me lucky. Ever since I can remember I wanted to be a hillbilly singer and a cowboy. I was fortunate enough to do both of them.”

As a "hillbilly singer," he placed 99 songs on Billboard magazine's country charts between 1951 and 1978 (with 30 in the top-ten, and five hitting #1), was a member of the Grand Ole Opry in the 1950s, starred on television and in films, earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and much more before retiring from show business in the late 1970s.

Carl Smith was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2003, an honor many considered long overdue, though as Mr. Smith said at the time: "I appreciate it very much. I was afraid I was going to have to die before this happened."

Carlene and Justin Townes Earle will headline the third annual Johnny Cash Flower Pickin' Festival in Starkville, Mississippi on Saturday, October 17, 2009.

More information can be found on the festival's website.

Saturday, June 6th, 2009, 10pm.
The Rodeo Bar (27th St. and 3rd Ave., NYC).
Free!

That loopy little country-gospel chanteuse, Tammy Faye Starlite, pays tribute to the original blonde wild-child of Tennessee, Miss Carlene Carter - Tammy will perform Carlene's two sublime Nick Lowe-produced albums, "Musical Shapes" (1980) and "Blue Nun" (1981) at the Rodeo Bar in downtown(ish) NYC on June 6th at 10pm - with a band that includes Keith Hartel (bass and vocals), Dave Dunton (keyboards), Mike Dvorkin (electric guitar), Heidi Lieb (acoustic guitar) and Maria McKenna (drums). Songs include "Baby Ride Easy", "Foggy Mountain Top," "I'm So Cool," "Oh How Happy," "Too Many Teardrops," "Born To Move" and a new wave maximum-bass version of "Ring Of Fire." 'Twill be a fab and glitter-neon country- early '80's eve, replete with leather miniskirts, high-heeled Fryes and maybe even a Dave Edmunds-inspired pink tie.

(This is Tammy's second show in tribute to Carlene. Before the first one, Carlene wrote: "Hey anybody that is willing to take on anything about me is A OK with me! Please tell Tammy that I can't believe anyone would want to be so cool as to think about tribute----ing me, but she will go down in history for being so brave. I've got to meet this chick! It may well be a match made in mayhem.")

Carlene Carter has never been much for politics, but apparently MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann thinks one of her tunes sums up the dance between Congress and the auto executives. Here is a transcript from Wednesday night’s show:

OLBERMANN: "The last-minute push to punish the auto industry's unions and to give Republican senators something to bitch about, the bailout of Detroit or as Carlene Carter once sang, 'Never Together But Close Sometimes.'"

From NPR.org: Country singer and songwriter Carlene Carter is a third-generation member of country music's First Family. The Carters were extraordinarily prolific: Carlene's grandmother, "Mother" Maybelle Carter, along with A.P. and Sara Carter, cut some of the first commercially successful country music in the border town of Bristol, Tenn./Va., back in 1927.

Those landmark sessions — and Bristol's rich history — are now preserved by the non-profit group The Birthplace of Country Music Alliance, which invited Mountain Stage to record in Bristol for a third consecutive year. The daughter of June Carter and her first husband, rockabilly singer Carl Smith, Carlene Carter is heard here in a special appearance in the historic border city, where she performs selections from her first new record in 12 years, Stronger.

Listen now on NPR.org

It has just been announced that Carlene Carter, now one of the senior performing members of the first family of country music, will be opening for Elvis Costello at the Ryman (in Nashville, TN) on April 23. Carter's ties to Costello go back at least three decades, when her ex-husband Nick Lowe was producing Elvis' albums.

Carter, meanwhile, is set to release her first album of new material in more than a decade on March 4. Titled Stronger and produced by longtime associate John McFee (of Doobie Brothers fame), the record reflects on the Job-like series of losses she endured in 2003, including the deaths of four of her closest loved ones during an eight-month span.

From The Tennessean.

Nearly 30 years after her first album in June 1978, Carlene Carter is back with her new CD "Stronger," which debuted at #69 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart, her first appearance there since her last studio release, "Little Acts Of Treason," peaked at #65 in 1995. Her highest-charting album was "I Fell In Love," which made the Top 20 at #19 in 1990.

CMT News reported the Billboard debut with: "making its bow is Carlene Carter's potent package, Stronger," and with Jo Dee Messina as the highest-charting new song, added: "It's good to see Jo Dee and Carlene back, isn't it? Those women can rock."

The March 24 issue of Country Weekly reviewed "Stronger" with the latest Alan Jackson CD, giving both 3 1/2 stars and saying: "In country music, wandering spirits can always come home again."

Carlene Carter is recording a bonus track that will be available only on line in conjunction with her new CD "Stronger." Yep Roc Records is offering the download to anyone who purchases a hard copy of Carter's first CD in 13 years. An authorization code will be inserted into the CD enabling buyers to go to the Yep Roc web site to download "When the Long Road Ends," a song penned by Paul Thorn and Billy Maddox. The song will be available on street date (March 4, 2008).

From Country Standard Time.

A stellar group of “musical outlaws” took center stage at the historic Paramount Theater in Austin, Texas for a musical celebration of the outlaw spirit in country music. Performers included Asleep at the Wheel, Suzy Bogguss, Carlene Carter (who sang "The Bitter End" from her new "Stronger" CD), Jessi Colter, Rodney Crowell, Joe Ely, Raul Malo, Lee Roy Parnell, and many more! The evening’s festivities were taped by HDNet TV for showing on that network and a subsequent version for Public Television stations across the U.S.

Available now on 2 DVDs and 4 CDs at The Outlaw Trail Collection.

On January 15, 2008, Yep Roc Records made a special offer that the first 100 fans who pre-ordered Carlene's new Stronger CD would get an autographed copy. Now, due to high demand, Carlene has signed even more copies of Stronger, and the first 250 fans to pre-order the CD at the Yep Roc Web Shop will get an autographed copy of this very special limited stock! The official release date of the CD is March 4, 2008.

Carlene will be performing at B.B. King Blues Club & Grill in New York City on January 13, 2008 as part of an APAP Showcase (Association of Performing Arts Presenters). The show will also feature Marc Broussard and The Hitmen of Music Row. See the Fan Club Calendar page on the right for more details!

Yes, the Lord's own sewer-mouthed vixen, Miss Tammy Faye Starlite, returns to her holy homeland of Nashville, TN for a one-night-only (Friday, November 30) special tribute to the woman she considers her spiritual soul-sister: the glorious, notorious, rowdy, raunchy and remarkable Carlene Carter. Tammy will be covering a range of Carlene's luminous hits and fantastic classics from her celebrated, colorful and at times controversial career, from the Nick Lowe years of the early '80s to her magnificent ride during the rockin' '90s, all the way up to Carlene's brilliant upcoming new CD, "Stronger."

Tammy gushes, "It's an honor to be able to do Carlene. I love her with every bone in my body. To paraphrase her now legendary utterance, she definitely puts the 'count' back in country. I've always aspired to do the same." Songs Tammy will cover include, "I Fell In Love," "Every Little Thing," "Baby Ride Easy," "Unbreakable Heart," and many more! Come to The 5 Spot on Friday, November 30 and rock with fervent abandon, and in the words of Carlene herself, "Think Dirty"!

From Amazon.com: 2007 collection from the Country/Pop princess, daughter of June Carter Cash, step-daughter of Johnny Cash and ex-wife of Nick Lowe. Carlene recorded some great early '80s Roots/Pop albums then came back strong in the late '80s and '90s with her own brand of Country. This compilation features the best of the Country period with tracks like "I Fell In Love," "'Do It In A Heartbeat," "'Me And The Wildwood Rose" and many more. 20 tracks. Warner.

Get more info and order on Amazon.com.

Left to right: Geraint Watkins, Piano. Martin Belmont, Guitar. Carlene Carter, Vocal. Roy Dodds, Drums. Kevin Foster, Bass Guitar. Reg Meuross, Acoustic Guitar and Backing Vocals.

Reg Meuross writes below about Carlene's recent recording session with her old friend and band member from the early '80s, Martin Belmont.

Carlene was in London to record a song for Martin Belmont's new album. Martin had suggested I might want to be there to maybe sing some harmony - hell yeah! I wasn't about to pass up the chance of becoming an honorary Carter Family member for a day...

Read the full story on Reg's MySpace Blog.

The songs on Crazy Ex-Girlfriend reveal a blossoming songwriter whose gifts continue to expand, as well as a singer with impeccable taste in material. Lambert again wrote or co-wrote the bulk of the album’s songs – eight of the eleven tracks – but she also interprets the work of some of the world’s finest writers, including Gillian Welch, Patty Griffin, and Carlene Carter. As for the modern classic "Easy From Now On" (written by Carlene and Susanna Clark) which closes Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Lambert says: "That’s a ridiculously great song. My favorite line is 'Don’t worry about me/I got a wild card up my sleeve.' It’s been recorded a few times before, but I don’t think you can ever hear it enough."

From Miranda Lambert Bio/Song Info.

COUNTRY SINGER EXCITED TO BE BACK ON OPRY STAGE



Nashville, TN - Country music royalty Carlene Carter will grace the stage of the Grand Ole Opry for the first time in two years on Friday, April 27, 2007 at 8:00 pm. Carter will be singing songs from her latest studio project, "Stronger."
Since her last Opry visit two years ago, Carlene has signed on to Eleven Thirty Records and is set to release her latest album in August of 2007.

(Pictures from the night on the Fan Club Photos page!)

From Press Release by Gurley & Co.

Like many in the Cash and Carter families, including Rosanne and John Carter Cash, Carlene Carter isn't ready to speak publicly about the fire. "She is just obviously sad, as everyone is, because it was a beautiful home," said her publicist, Cathy Gurley. "She has some great memories. She is sad for the Gibb family (Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees and his wife had bought the home and were remodeling it when the fire occurred). She is going to keep remembering the great times she had there growing up."

From The Tennessean.

American Beat Records, the music label of Allumination Filmworks, is pleased to announce its re-release of the 1990 album, "Carlene Carter - I Fell in Love." More country than her previous releases, I Fell In Love features assistance from Howie Epstein (Tom Petty), June Carter Cash, Levon Helm (The Band), Benmont Tench (Tom Petty), Dave Edmunds, Nicolette Larson, and Kiki Dee (Elton John). The result is her most successful album (#19 Billboard Top Country Albums) and a string of four Top 40 country hit singles! ("I Fell In Love" #3; "Come On Back" #3; "The Sweetest Thing" #25; and "One Love" #33. The album also earned Carlene a Grammy nomination for "Best Country Vocal Performance, Female" and was named one of the year's ten best by TIME, Stereo Review, and People magazines.) This CD reissue has an April 3, 2007 release date with a $10.98 suggested retail price in store chains (such as Wal-Mart, Transworld and Circuit City) as well as independent record stores. Or order online now from Amazon.com!

Carter Chosen as a "50 and Fabulous" Woman



Carlene Carter kicked off "National Women's Month" with a series focusing on women who are "50 and Fabulous." The show is part of "It’s Your Call," hosted by Emmy winning journalist Lynn Doyle on Comcast Channel 8. The show originates in Philadelphia and is carried throughout the Northeast. The series will run through March with other guests including Naomi Judd and cosmetics entrepreneur Bobbi Brown.

Carlene Carter reveals the life, love and music shared by her mother June Carter Cash and her step-father Johnny Cash. She encourages viewers to make the most of life, regardless of age, and discusses the soul-baring songs she wrote to help her through the grief of losing her parents.

Carlene is the first of several women to be featured in the series that will focus on women over 50 and their life experiences. "Carlene Carter is a woman who was close to her mother and stepfather, June Carter and Johnny Cash, and learned from them how to handle attention and fame and avoid the pitfalls that come with celebrity," says Doyle.

Carlene Carter, daughter to June Carter Cash and Carl Smith and step-daughter to Johnny Cash, began her career in country music in the late '70s. Carlene's career took off in 1990 with the release of "I Fell In Love" which topped the country charts. Success followed in 1993 with the album "Little Love Letters" which included the song "Every Little Thing."

From Press Release by Gurley & Co.