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Carlene Carter
Carlene Carter performing live inside the Stephens Auditorium in Ames, Iowa, in September 2016
Background information
Birth name	Rebecca Carlene Smith
Born	(1955-09-26) September 26, 1955 (age 69) Gallatin, Tennessee, U.S.
Origin	Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.
Genres	Country, Americana
Occupation	Singer-songwriter
Instrument(s)	Vocals, guitar
Years active	1978–present
Labels	Reprise, Giant, House of Cash

Carlene Carter (born Rebecca Carlene Smith; September 26, 1955) is an American country music singer and songwriter. She is the daughter of June Carter Cash and her first husband, Carl Smith.

As of 2020, since 1978, Carter has recorded 12 albums, primarily on major labels. In the same timespan, she has released more than 20 singles, including three number three-peaking hits on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts.

Career

Carlene Carter's earliest released solo recording was "Friendly Gates", a track included on her stepfather Johnny Cash's 1974 album The Junkie and the Juicehead Minus Me, and credited under the name Carlene Routh.

Her solo recording career began in the late 1970s with her eponymous debut album. In 1979, during a concert at New York City's The Bottom Line, she introduced a song about mate-swapping called "Swap-Meat Rag", from her album Two Sides to Every Woman, by stating, "Well, if that don't put the 'cunt' back in country, I don't know what does." Johnny Cash and June Carter were in the audience, unbeknownst to Carlene.

Carter co-wrote a song with Guy Clark's wife, Susanna Clark, for Emmylou Harris on her 1978 Quarter Moon in a Ten Cent Town album, "Easy From Now On".

In 1983, she had a top-40 hit "I Couldn't Say No", a duet with Robert Ellis Orrall.

In 1987, Carter joined with the singing trio The Carter Sisters, consisting of her mother June Carter Cash and June's sisters Helen and Anita Carter. Together, they formed a revived version of The Carter Family, and were featured on a 1987 television episode of Austin City Limits along with Johnny Cash.

Carter revived her solo career with the album I Fell in Love, in 1990. The album and title song topped the US country albums and singles charts, respectively. Following a lengthy stint living in the UK and in the run-up to her divorce from English singer-songwriter Nick Lowe, Carter had returned to the U.S., where in 1988 she met musician Howie Epstein, bassist in Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Epstein helped Carter get her career back on track, producing I Fell in Love and co-authoring its title track with longtime collaborator, Milwaukee writer Perry M. Lamek. In 1991, the song "I Fell in Love" earned a Grammy nomination for Best Female Country Vocal Performance. The album, which featured straight-ahead, retro-sounding country (unlike her prior work, which had combined country, rock and roll and pop sounds) was among the first successes of the 1990s "neotraditionalist" movement in country.

Three years later, Epstein produced Carter's follow-up CD Little Love Letters, featuring the hit "Every Little Thing", which was one of the top-rated music videos of the year.

Carter provided the voice of Red in the 1994 Williams pinball machine, Red & Ted's Road Show, designed by Pat Lawlor. A clip of Carter's hit, "Every Little Thing", is played after the player scores a jackpot. A picture of Carter appears in the game's backglass artwork.

Carter had a cameo appearance in the 1994 film Maverick. She played a waitress on the gambling casino ship run by Commodore Duvall (James Coburn).

In 1995, Carter's Little Acts of Treason was well received critically, but failed to achieve the commercial success of Carter's two previous releases. In 1996, Carter released Hindsight 20/20, a greatest-hits album, but it failed to achieve success.

She received a small amount of acclaim with the song "It Takes One to Know Me", which was released on the albums Johnny Cash: The Legend and Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash: Duets. Originally recorded in 1977 with a full string backing group, it was lost in a tape collection in Hendersonville, Tennessee, and then recovered in 2003. It then was remastered by her half-brother John Carter Cash. In the remastered version, John added his wife Laura (Carlene's sister-in-law) and his backing vocals and a guest appearance from Carlene herself—more than 25 years after she wrote and first recorded the song.

In 2005, she was played by Victoria Hester in the movie Walk the Line.

On November 20, 2008, Carlene Carter performed at Iron Horse Music Hall in Northampton, Massachusetts, accompanied by Mike Emerson (Elvin Bishop, Tommy Castro) on piano and Sean Allen on electric guitar and later joined by her husband Joe Breen. Alluding to some of her past problems, she said, "I'm really fortunate to have been making records for 30 years...I've had some gaps where I was doing research."

On August 8, 2009, Carlene Carter played a live acoustic set at Heckscher Park in Huntington, New York. During the performance, she stated that it was the first time in more than 30 years that she performed by herself. During her hour-long set, she played the title track from her latest release "Stronger", and said it was written in memory of her younger sister, who had died six years earlier. The track was performed on the piano and brought Carter to tears. Her younger sister is also mentioned in her track "Wildwood Rose". She ended the set by playing "Will the Circle Be Unbroken?" with the opening act: The Homegrown String Band, a family band from the area. She said it brought back memories of playing with her own family.

In 2014, she released her 10th studio album Carter Girl for Rounder Records. The album features 12 tracks written or co-written by members of the Carter Family: 10 pre-existing songs and two new originals. Carter Girl received universal acclaim and includes collaborations with Elizabeth Cook, Willie Nelson, Vince Gill, Kris Kristofferson, and Carter Family members Lorrie Carter Bennett, Helen Carter, Anita Carter, June Carter Cash, and Johnny Cash.

Carter was the opening act on John Mellencamp's 80-date Plain Spoken tour in 2015. Additionally, Carter collaborated extensively with Mellencamp on his 2017 album Sad Clowns & Hillbillies, providing vocals on five tracks, as well as writing one ("Damascus Road") and co-writing another ("Indigo Sunset").

In October 2024, Carter collaborated with Dion (Dion DiMucci) on a patriotic digital single titled “An American Hero” along with an accompanying video on YouTube.

Personal life

Carter is the daughter of June Carter Cash and her first husband, Carl Smith. She is the granddaughter of Maybelle Carter of the Carter Family and the sister of Rosie Nix Adams and half sister of John Carter Cash. In the late 1980s, Carter moved back to Nashville to begin a drug- and alcohol-free life and work on her solo career.

Carlene Carter has been married four times:

• Joseph Simpkins Jr. (1971–1972) (one child, Tiffany Anastasia Lowe, born February 23, 1972)
• Jack Wesley Routh (1974–1977) (one child, John Jackson Routh, born January 15, 1976)
• Nick Lowe (1979–1990) (Carter appears in the music video of Lowe's 1979 single "Cruel to Be Kind" with real footage of their wedding.)
• Joseph Breen (2006–2020)

Carter was for many years linked romantically with the late bass player Howie Epstein, best known for his work with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. She lived with Epstein in Tesuque, New Mexico, from 1996 until 2002. On June 26, 2001, a New Mexico police officer pulled over Carter and Epstein. A search of the vehicle found drugs and established the vehicle was stolen. Epstein died in 2003 of a suspected drug overdose.

Discography (studio albums)

• Carlene Carter (1978)
• Two Sides to Every Woman (1979)
• Musical Shapes (1980)
• Blue Nun (1981)
• C'est C Bon (1983)
• I Fell in Love (1990)
• Little Love Letters (1993)
• Little Acts of Treason (1995)
• Stronger (2008)
• Carter Girl (2014)
• Sad Clowns & Hillbillies (with John Mellencamp) (2017)

Awards and nominations

References

1. ^ The Rolling stone encyclopedia of rock & roll. George-Warren, Holly., Bashe, Patricia Romanowski, 1949–, Pareles, Jon. (3rd ed., rev. and updated for the 21st century ed.). New York: Fireside. 2001. pp. 153–154. ISBN 0-7432-0120-5. OCLC 47081418.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
2. Chapman, Marshall (2003). Goodbye, little rock and roller. New York: St. Martin's Press. ISBN 0-312-31568-6.
3. "The Official C.C. Fan Club Website – Press". Carlene Carter Fan Club. December 1, 1980. Archived from the original on April 8, 2014. Retrieved April 7, 2014.
4. "Austin City Limits | PBS Video". Pbs.org. Archived from the original on October 19, 2007. Retrieved April 7, 2014.
5. ^ Cooper, Mark (March 5, 1991). "I Fell In Love review". Q Magazine. 55: 66.
6. "Red & Ted's Road Show Pinball". GamePro. No. 66. IDG. January 1995. p. 34.
7. "Walk the Line (2005) Acting Credits". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 30, 2013. Retrieved September 10, 2012.
8. O'Hare, Kevin; Republican, The (November 21, 2008). "Carlene Carter's Triumphant Comeback in Northampton". masslive. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
9. "John Mellencamp Announces Plain Spoken 2015 North American Tour". Yahoo.com. September 10, 2014. Archived from the original on August 2, 2015. Retrieved January 15, 2017.
10. "First Listen: John Mellencamp, 'Sad Clowns & Hillbillies'". NPR.org. April 24, 2017.
11. "John Mellencamp featuring Carlene Carter – Sad Clowns & Hillbillies album review". Teamrock.com. April 25, 2017. Retrieved April 30, 2017
12. "Dion - An American Hero". KTBA (Keeping The Blues Alive) Records. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
13. Friedlander, Matt. "Check Out Rock 'n' Roll Pioneer Dion's Patriotic New Collaboration with Carlene Carter, "An American Hero"". American Songwriter. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
14. "Carlene Carter finally home, ready for a pony". November 2, 2018.
15. "Carlene Carter interview", The Dale Wiley Show, discussed at 32-minute mark, Jan. 14, 2021. Retrieved 2021-01-16.
16. "Carlene Carter grows "Stronger"". Countrystandardtime.com. October 2, 2007. Retrieved April 7, 2014.
17. Heart Breaker – Milwaukee Magazine Retrieved August 30, 2018.
18. Michael Gray (June 28, 2001). "Carlene Carter Arrested for Theft, Drug Possession". CMT. Archived from the original on January 13, 2005.
19. "Howie Epstein: Rock musician", Variety, March 3, 2003. Retrieved 2011-09-19.

Further reading

• Everett, Todd (1998). "Carlene Carter". In The Encyclopedia of Country Music. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 82–3.

External links

• Carlene Carter on Facebook
• Carlene Carter at IMDb

v t e Johnny Cash
Albums Singles Sun Records Songs Awards
Studio albums	1950s Johnny Cash with His Hot and Blue Guitar! The Fabulous Johnny Cash Hymns by Johnny Cash Songs of Our Soil 1960s Ride This Train Now, There Was a Song! Hymns from the Heart The Sound of Johnny Cash Blood, Sweat and Tears The Christmas Spirit I Walk the Line Bitter Tears: Ballads of the American Indian Orange Blossom Special Johnny Cash Sings the Ballads of the True West Everybody Loves a Nut Happiness Is You Carryin' On with Johnny Cash & June Carter From Sea to Shining Sea The Holy Land 1970s Hello, I'm Johnny Cash Man in Black A Thing Called Love America: A 200-Year Salute in Story and Song The Johnny Cash Family Christmas Any Old Wind That Blows Johnny Cash and His Woman Ragged Old Flag The Junkie and the Juicehead Minus Me The Johnny Cash Children's Album Johnny Cash Sings Precious Memories John R. Cash Look at Them Beans One Piece at a Time The Last Gunfighter Ballad The Rambler I Would Like to See You Again Gone Girl Silver A Believer Sings the Truth Johnny Cash Sings with B.C. Goodpasture Christian School 1980s Rockabilly Blues Classic Christmas The Baron The Adventures of Johnny Cash Johnny 99 Highwayman Rainbow Class of '55: Memphis Rock & Roll Homecoming Heroes Believe in Him Johnny Cash Is Coming to Town Classic Cash Water from the Wells of Home 1990s Highwayman 2 Boom Chicka Boom The Mystery of Life Country Christmas American Recordings The Road Goes on Forever American II: Unchained 2000–2020s American III: Solitary Man American IV: The Man Comes Around My Mother's Hymn Book American V: A Hundred Highways American VI: Ain't No Grave Out Among the Stars Songwriter
Live albums	At Folsom Prison At San Quentin The Johnny Cash Show På Österåker Strawberry Cake The Survivors Koncert v Praze (In Prague – Live) VH1 Storytellers: Johnny Cash & Willie Nelson At Madison Square Garden A Concert Behind Prison Walls Live from Austin, TX
Soundtracks	I Walk the Line Little Fauss and Big Halsy The Gospel Road Return to the Promised Land
Compilations	Johnny Cash Sings the Songs That Made Him Famous Greatest! Johnny Cash Sings Hank Williams Now Here's Johnny Cash All Aboard the Blue Train with Johnny Cash Original Sun Sound of Johnny Cash Ring of Fire: The Best of Johnny Cash Greatest Hits, Vol. 1 Heart of Cash Greatest Hits, Vol. 2 Sunday Morning Coming Down International Superstar Five Feet High and Rising Destination Victoria Station Greatest Hits, Vol. 3 The Unissued Johnny Cash Johnny & June Tall Man Encore Biggest Hits The Man in Black 1954–1958 The Man in Black 1959–1962 Come Along and Ride This Train The Essential Johnny Cash (1992) Wanted Man The Man in Black 1963–1969 The Man in Black – His Greatest Hits 16 Biggest Hits Love, God, Murder The Essential Johnny Cash (2002) Unearthed The Legend The Legend of Johnny Cash Patriot 16 Biggest Hits: Johnny Cash & June Carter Cash The Legend of Johnny Cash Vol. II The Complete Columbia Album Collection Johnny Cash and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Songs	"25 Minutes to Go" "Seasons of My Heart" "Any Old Wind That Blows" "A Wonderful Time Up There" "The Ballad of Boot Hill" "The Ballad of Ira Hayes" "Ballad of a Teenage Queen" "Big River" "Blistered" "A Boy Named Sue" "Busted" "Cat's in the Cradle" "Cocaine Blues" "Cry! Cry! Cry!" "Daddy Sang Bass" "Dark as a Dungeon" "Don't Take Your Guns to Town" "Engine 143" "Flesh and Blood" "The Folk Singer" "Folsom Prison Blues" "Forty Shades of Green" "Get Rhythm" "Give My Love to Rose" "Goodnight, Irene" "Green, Green Grass of Home" "Greystone Chapel" "Guess Things Happen That Way" "Hey, Porter" "Home of the Blues" "Hurt" "I Couldn't Keep from Crying" "I Love You Because" "I Still Miss Someone" "I Walk the Line" "If I Had a Hammer" "If I Were a Carpenter" "In My Life" "In the Jailhouse Now" "It Ain't Me Babe" "Jackson" "Kate" "Last Night I Had the Strangest Dream" "The Man Comes Around" "Man in Black" "The Matador" "Oh Lonesome Me" "One Piece at a Time" "Oney" "Orange Blossom Special" "The One on the Right Is on the Left" "Remember the Alamo" "(Ghost) Riders in the Sky" "Ring of Fire" "Rock Island Line" "So Doggone Lonesome" "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down" "Tennessee Flat Top Box" "There Ain't No Good Chain Gang" "A Thing Called Love" "Understand Your Man" "What Is Truth" "What'd I Say" "Without Love" "You Are My Sunshine"
Film	Gospel Road: A Story of Jesus
Television	The Johnny Cash Show
Biographies	Man in Black: His Own Story in His Own Words Cash: The Autobiography Johnny Cash! The Man, His World, His Music My Father and the Man in Black Walk the Line Ring of Fire (musical) Ring of Fire (2013 film) My Darling Vivian
Tribute albums	The Sound Behind Johnny Cash Kindred Spirits: A Tribute to the Songs of Johnny Cash Dressed in Black: A Tribute to Johnny Cash Johnny's Blues: A Tribute to Johnny Cash Walk the Line: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Fade to Black: Memories of Johnny All Aboard: A Tribute to Johnny Cash Johnny Cash Remixed We Walk the Line: A Celebration of the Music of Johnny Cash Forever Words
Associated acts	The Highwaymen The Tennessee Three Bob Wootton Carl Perkins W. S. Holland Marshall Grant Luther Perkins Million Dollar Quartet The Great Eighties Eight
Family	June Carter Cash John Carter Cash Rosanne Cash Cindy Cash Carlene Carter Tommy Cash Carter Family
Historical sites	Dyess, Arkansas Johnny Cash Boyhood Home Johnny Cash Museum House of Cash Carter Family Fold
Legacy	Statue of Johnny Cash
Category

• 1955 births
• Singers from Nashville, Tennessee
• Country musicians from Tennessee
• American women country singers
• American country singer-songwriters
• American expatriates in England
• Living people
• Giant Records (Warner) artists
• Johnny Cash
• Cash–Carter family
• People from Tesuque, New Mexico
• Singer-songwriters from Tennessee