The World Of Maybelle Carter: A Turning The Tables Playlist

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Born in the Appalachian Mountains of southwest Virginia in 1909, Maybelle Carter grew up in a musical family. Playing music at home and in her rural community were common childhood activities for her. She had a natural talent and was able to learn several instruments, including two for which she would become very well known: autoharp and guitar.

In 1926, she married Ezra Carter, brother of A.P. Carter, who had married Maybelle's cousin Sara in 1915. A.P. had an entrepreneurial spirit and had begun traveling throughout the mountains to collect songs. Often his companion on these trips was an African American guitarist named Lesley Riddle. In an interview with Mike Seeger from 1965, Riddle said, "If I could hear you sing, I could sing it too. I was his tape recorder. He'd take me with him and he'd get someone to sing the whole song. Then I'd get it and learn it to Sara and Maybelle."

In 1927, A.P. became intrigued by an advertisement he saw for an upcoming Victor Talking Machine Company recording session that was to take place in Bristol, Tenn. He encouraged Maybelle and Sara to take the trip to Bristol with him so they could audition and possibly record songs as the Carter Family. They attended the session and recorded six songs over two days, August 1 and 2, 1927, capturing the sound of their three-person group: Sara's voice and autoharp, A.P.'s arrangements and vocals and Maybelle's guitar. These records were nationally distributed and gave listeners an opportunity to hear the musical sounds of rural, Southern Appalachia. Audiences responded well: The recordings were very popular and created a demand for more country music to be recorded. These sessions, known as the Bristol Sessions, produced not only the Carter Family but also superstar Jimmie Rodgers. Those several days in 1927 would become