Carlene Carter

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Carlene Carter

Background information
Birth name Rebecca Carlene Smith
Born September 26, 1955 (1955-09-26) (age 52)
Origin Nashville, Tennessee, United States
Genre(s) Country
Occupation(s) Singer-songwriter
Instrument(s) Vocals
Guitar
Years active 1978-Present
Label(s) Reprise
Giant
Associated acts Johnny Cash, June Carter Cash, Rosanne Cash, Carter Family

Carlene Carter (born September 26, 1955 as Rebecca Carlene Smith) is an American country singer and songwriter. She is the daughter of June Carter and her first husband, Carl Smith.

Between 1978 and the present, Carter has recorded twelve albums, primarily on major labels. In the same timespan, she has released more than twenty singles, including three #3-peaking hits on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts.

Contents

[edit] Career

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In 1987, Carlene Carter joined with the singing trio The Carter Sisters, consisting of her mother June Carter Cash and June's sisters Helen and Anita Carter in a revived version of The Carter Family, and were featured on a 1987 television episode of Austin City Limits along with Carlene's stepfather Johnny Cash. [1]

Though her solo recording career had begun in the late 1970s with her eponymous debut album, it was with 1990's I Fell in Love that Carter's career really took off, with the album and title song topping the US country albums and singles charts, respectively. The album, which featured straight-ahead, retro-sounding country (her prior work had combined country, rock and roll and pop sounds), was among the first successes of the 1990s "neotraditionalist" movement in country. 1993's Little Love Letters featured the hit "Every Little Thing", which was accompanied by one of the top-rated music videos of the year.

Carter provided the voice of "Red" in the 1994 Williams pinball machine, Red & Ted's Road Show, designed by Pat Lawlor. A clip of Carter's hit, "Every Little Thing," is played after the player scores a jackpot. A picture of Carter appears in the game's backglass artwork.

Carter had a cameo appearance in the 1994 film Maverick. She played a waitress on the gambling casino ship run by Commodore Duvall (James Coburn).

In 1995 Carter's Little Acts of Treason was critically well received but failed to achieve the commercial success of Carter's two previous releases. In 1996, Carter released Hindsight 20/20, a greatest hits album but it too failed to achieve success.

She also found limited amounts of fame with the song "It Takes One to Know Me," which was released on the albums Johnny Cash: The Legend and Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash: Duets. Originally recorded in 1977 with a full string backing group, it was lost in a tape collection in Hendersonville and uncovered in 2003. It was then remastered by her brother John Carter Cash. In the remastered version John added his and his wife Laura's (her sister-in-law) backing vocals and a guest appearance from Carlene herself--more than 25 years after she wrote and recorded the song.

In 2001, a New Mexico police officer pulled over Carter and musician Howie Epstein. A search of the vehicle revealed that it was stolen and drugs were found.[2]

She was played by Victoria Hester in the movie Walk the Line.

[edit] Personal life

Carlene Carter has been married four times:

  • Joseph Simpkins Jr. (1971-1972)
    • One child Tiffany Anastasia Lowe (b. February 23, 1972)
  • Jack Wesley Routh (1974-1977)
    • One child John Jackson Routh (b. January 15, 1976)
  • Nick Lowe (1979-1990)
  • Joseph Breen (2006- )

Carter was for many years linked romantically with bass player Howie Epstein, who died in 2003 from complication from many years of drug use.[3]

[edit] Discography

[edit] Studio albums

Year Title Chart Positions Label
US Country US 200
1978 Carlene Carter Warner Bros.
1979 Two Sides to Every Woman
1980 Musical Shapes 139
1981 Blue Nun
1983 C'est C Bon Epic
1990 I Fell in Love 19 Reprise
1993 Little Love Letters 35 196 Giant
1995 Little Acts of Treason 65
2008 Stronger 69 Yep Roc Records

[edit] Compilations and Live albums

Year Title Chart Positions Label
US Country US 200
1994 Hurricane: Live At The Crazy Horse RSM
1996 Hindsight 20/20 Giant
2007 The Platinum Collection WEA International

[edit] Singles

Year Title Chart Positions Album
US Country US Hot 100
1978 "Never Together (But Close Sometimes)" Carlene Carter
"Love Is Gone"
1979 "Do It in a Heartbeat" 42 108 Two Sides to Every Woman
"Old Photographs"
1980 "Baby Ride Easy" (with Dave Edmunds) 76 Musical Shapes
"Ring of Fire"
1981 "Oh How Happy" Blue Nun
"Do Me Lover"
1983 "Heart To Heart" C'est C Bon
"I Couldn't Say No" (with Robert Ellis Orrall) 32 Special Pain (Robert Ellis Orrall album)
1990 "Time's Up" (with Southern Pacific) 26 County Line (Southern Pacific album)
"I Fell In Love" 3 I Fell In Love
1991 "Come On Back" 3
"The Sweetest Thing" 25
"One Love" 33
1993 "Every Little Thing" 3 Little Love Letters
"Unbreakable Heart" 51
1994 "I Love You 'Cause I Want To" 50
"Sweet Meant To Be"
"Something Already Gone" 43 Maverick (soundtrack)
"Rockin' Little Christmas" 66 A Giant Country Christmas, Vol. 1
1995 "Love Like This" 70 Little Acts of Treason
"Hurricane" 75
2008 "Bring Love" Stronger

[edit] References

  1. ^ Johnny Cash with The Carter Family, Austin City Limits, 1987
  2. ^ http://www.cmt.com/artists/news/1444835/06282001/carter_carlene.jhtml CMT.com Retrieved on 05-15-07
  3. ^ Carlene Carter grows "Stronger"
  • Everett, Todd (1998). "Carlene Carter". In The Encyclopedia of Country Music. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 82-3.