Affectionately and even reverently known as "Mother" Maybelle, Maybelle Carter was one-third of country music's original first family, the Carters. Maybelle Carter's grandparents: Maybelle Carter's grandfather was William Kilgore Maybelle Carter's grandmother was Nancy Kilgore Maybelle Carter's grandfather was David Addington Maybelle Carter's grandmother was Mary Addington. In the 1920s through the early 1940s, Maybelle Carter was part of the historic country music trio The Carter Family with her cousin Sara Carter and Sara's husband A. P. Carter.Maybelle's contribution to the group was singing harmony to Sara's lead vocal as well as playing guitar. In 1960, they began a long collaboration with Johnny Cash, recording with him as back up singers and musicians, as well as performing with him in concerts.Helen Carter, her mother and sisters enjoyed considerable notoriety with their most successful albums, … With Maybelle Carter—Sara Carter's first cousin and the wife of A. P. Carter's brother—the couple formed the Carter Family, recording for the first time at the Bristol Sessions of 1927. Only Maybelle showed much interest in continuing with the Carter music tradition. History. "Mother" Maybelle Carter (born Maybelle Addington; May 10, 1909 – October 23, 1978) was an American country musician and originator of the ”Carter scratch .” She is best known as a member of the Original Carter Family act in the 1920s, 30s, and 40s and also as a member of the Carter Sisters and Mother Maybelle.
The group made nearly 300 records in a career that lasted until the early 1940s, and for several years they performed on ultrahigh-frequency border radio. Throughout the 1960’s and 1970’s, Mother Maybelle and The Carter Sisters saw much success and received many accolades. Anita Carter, the youngest daughter of Maybelle Carter and said to be the best singer of the Carter Sisters, died in her middle Tennessee home Thursday, July 29, at age 66 following a long illness. Billing herself as Mother Maybelle and the Carter Sisters, she took her children Helen, Anita and June and began working radio shows in places like Richmond, Virginia, Knoxville, and Springfield, Missouri. Overview ↓ Biography ↓ Discography ↓ Songs ↓ Credits ↓ Maybelle Carter's husband was Ezra Carter. Born Maybelle Addington in May of 1909, she… Read Full Biography.