Fred Carter Jr. dies Saturday at 76
Monday, July 19, 2010 – Guitarist, producer, writer and singer Fred Carter Jr. died Saturday at 76. Carter died from stroke-related causes at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville. He played on recordings from a variety of genres including Waylon Jennings, Dottie Rambo, Simon and Garfunkel, the Band and Muddy Waters. Carter songs were recorded by Chet Atkins and Dean Martin.
Carter grew up in northeastern Louisiana. He grew up with jazz, country & western, hymns, and blues. He later spent two years with Roy Orbison during his heyday in the late 1950s and also worked with Ronnie Hawkins and the Hawks of Suzie Q fame. Carter toured extensively with Conway Twitty when Twitty played rock instead of country.
In the 1960s, Carter turned to Nashville session work. He played on Simon & Garfunkel's The Boxer, Dylan's Lay Lady Lay and was lead guitarist for Joan Baez and Neil Young.
Carter is the father of country singer Deana Carter.
More news for Deana Carter
CD reviews for Deana Carter
The Chain
In one of the more unusual "Take Your Daughter To Work" days ever, Deana Carter resurrects the tunes that her father, Fred Carter, Jr. helped make famous. Mr. Carter has been a renowned session guitarist, and some of the songs here are amongst the best ever: "Good Hearted Woman", "Crying" and "The Boxer."
Keeping true to the theme, though, is something of a cage. These songs almost assuredly would not be chosen for a "regular" covers record. »»» |
I'm Just a Girl
Deana Carter sports one of the few easily recognizable vocal stylists in today's mainstream country scene. Her voice is unmistakable, and the way she phrases is just as distinctive. Combine that with the ability to write, as she does with every song on this new album, and the result is a very strong entry.
Carter doesn't write solo that often but she does collaborate with some very good people like Randy Scruggs, Matraca Berg and Dwight Yoakam, the latter of whom also provides a duet on "Waiting. »»» |
Father Christmas
Deana Carter's latest sounds like a good place to look for solid Christmas music. Her 10 new renditions of mostly time-tested tunes warms as well as a cracklin' fire. True, her voice could use more range.
But not everyone can sing like Loretta, can they? Anyway, Carter coos her way through a bluesy "I'll Be Home For Christmas" to set a table that brims with chestnuts. Literally, as with her "A Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire." As with Bing Crosby's "White Christmas," not one »»» |
Editorial: Walking the talk –
When names like Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Waylon and the Hag are invoked, you're talking hard core country. These are the touchstones of country , the guys who made country music what it was and still is (or maybe can be). When these folks would sing about being down-and-out and the rough-and-tumble, they knew of what they were singing about. Fast forward a few years to the country singers of today. »»»
Concert Review: McGraw has plenty of fight left –
Despite the fact that Tim McGraw is five years sober, fit as a triathlete and touring behind a number one album, he is still in an unenviable position. As he approaches 50, McGraw has to stay a step ahead of the current crop of young country hunks with TV shows, cross format radio airplay and wider appeal. But as he proved at First Niagara's... »»»
Concert Review: Steve Earle doesn't rest (on laurels) –
If you didn't realize Steve Earle had a new disc out, "The Low Highway," it would have been no problem realizing that quite and quickly.
That was because Earle started the two-hour show with three straight tracks from "The Low Highway," and he would not be done for the night. The title track of was a midtempo effort... »»»
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Wilderness
"Wilderness" is another twisted menagerie of The Handsome Family songs. Once again, husband Brett Sparks sings their songs, sometimes in a bellowing gravedigger voice, after adding music to wife Rennie's lyrics. This time out, each and every tune is named after an animal, insect or other such nature creature. However, Rennie studies animals the way Flannery O'Connor wrote about humans, which is with the weirdness and character flaws in primary focus. »»» |
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