Ezra J. Carter (also known as Eck Carter; October 21, 1898 – January 22, 1975) was a member of the
Carter Family of Virginia. Ezra Carter managed the famous
Carter Family, a traditional American folk music group that recorded between 1927 and 1956. He was the husband of
Maybelle Addington Carter (1909–1978), brother of
Alvin Pleasant "A.P." Delaney Carter (1891–1960) and father of
Helen Carter (1927–1998),
June Carter (1929–2003) and
Anita Carter
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 and June, and her mother, Maybelle, initially under the name The Carter Sisters an ...
(1933–1999).
Carter was born on October 21, 1898, in
Maces Spring, Virginia
Maces Spring is a small unincorporated area, unincorporated community in Scott County, Virginia, Scott County, Virginia, United States, along State Route 614, in an area known as Poor Valley. The settlement consists of a small number of houses. The ...
and married Maybelle Addington in 1926. Using his car, the Carter Family drove to the original
Bristol Sessions recordings in 1927 where Appalachian
country music
Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...
was recorded for one of the first times. He retired as a railroad postal worker and became the manager of the
Carter Family group after the divorce of
A.P. Carter
Alvin Pleasant Delaney Carter (December 15, 1891 – November 7, 1960) was an American musician and founding member of The Carter Family, one of the most notable acts in the history of country music.
Biography
Life
A.P. Carter was born to Robe ...
and
Sara Carter and directed the stage performances of his family. When the
Grand Ole Opry
The ''Grand Ole Opry'' is a weekly American country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, founded on November 28, 1925, by George D. Hay as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM. Currently owned and operated by Opry Entertainment (a divis ...
invited the family to perform regularly but requested that they leave
Chet Atkins out of the group, Ezra insisted that Chet remain.
[John Carter Cash, ''Anchored In Love: An Intimate Portrait of June Carter Cash'', (Thomas Nelson Inc, Jun 12, 2007 pg.35] Carter was also responsible for constructing a dam and bringing the first electricity to
Poor Valley, Virginia
Poor Valley is a valley in Grainger County, Tennessee, Hawkins County, Tennessee, Hancock County, Tennessee, Scott County, Virginia, Washington County, Virginia, and Smyth County, Virginia, United States. A variant name is Big Poor Valley.
Poor ...
. He died on January 22, 1975, and is buried in Hendersonville, Tennessee. His home is now known as the
Maybelle and Ezra Carter House
Maybelle and Ezra Carter House is a historic home located at Maces Spring, Scott County, Virginia. The original one-story, frame dwelling was enlarged by an additional 1/2-story for more bedroom space in the 1920s-1930s. The 1936 remodeling resul ...
in
Maces Spring
Maces Spring is a small unincorporated community in Scott County, Virginia, United States, along State Route 614, in an area known as Poor Valley. The settlement consists of a small number of houses. There are no longer any stores in Maces Spring; ...
,
Scott County, Virginia and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
[ an]
''Accompanying photo''
/ref>
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Carter, Ezra
Scott County, Virginia
Carter family of Virginia
Cash–Carter family
1898 births
1975 deaths