The Carter Fold website and several friends are reporting that Janette Carter, the last surving child of the original Carter family passed away last night at Holston Valley Hospital in Kingsport, TN. Janette was 82 years old.
I met Janette several years ago as an advertising rep for The Kingsport Times-News. She was the matriarch of the Carter Family and our region mourns the loss of a woman and family who have preserved a legacy of Appalachian music from her home and family stage in Hiltons, VA.
Last year, Janette had the honor of accepting a long overdue lifetime acheivement award at the 2005 Grammy Awards in Los Angeles.
I’m sorry I missed the opportunity to see Janette perform. While she was in good health, she opened each of the family Saturday night performances with a couple of Carter Family songs and delighted thousands of visitors each year to the Carter Family Fold.