Roots Music Journey: The Sequel : Bristol TN and the Carter Family Fold Part 2 (updated 4/20/12)

Jammin' at the Fold. . . That's Rita, Janette's daughter seated on the right and these are students from

Hazard Community and Technical College

The Carter Family Fold on the other hand is a magical venue started by Janette Carter, daughter of Sara and AP Carter on the sight of her family’s historic home in Hiltons Virginia, 20 miles from Bristol. They have music every Saturday night and can seat close to 900 people. There is also a museum in AP Carter's original Cabin that was moved to the sight. On the night we attended the music was provided by the students from the Kentucky School of Bluegrass and Traditional Music which is a certificate program at Hazard Community and Technical College in Hazard Kentucky. The program is only 5 years old and draws students from all over the US. Imagine that. . . . a community college that is paying attention to its own local cultural treasures. . . .

I really love Janette Carter's handwritten statement of purpose that is framed on the club wall

an Avid Fan . . .

Grooving at the Fold

I have some amazing videos that I want to post but I need some superior internet to pull that off!!!

We heard some fantastic music and met a lot of great folks. It was such an amazing rural roots music scene and I would have too say that it was one of the high points of our trip. The fact that the band was all community college students was the icing on the cake. . . .

these guys sounded really great!! and they were from all over the country and Japan

Peggy Hensley

Peggy Hensley is a lifelong friend of the Carter family and has worked the door at the Fold for 15 years. Her family has lived here for 7 generations and her dad help build the display cases in the museum. She told us that before they passed away, Johnny Cash and June Carter used to just show up and play unannounced. Other legends of country who have appeared at the Fold include country outlaw Waylon Jennings and current Nashville star Marty Stuart. The crowd was local and friendly and the vibes were great. This place was just too cool!

****** News flash-- I just got the following email from Peggy and found it the perfect addition to this wonderful story. . . . not to mention the correction, whoops. ********

" That is actually Rita sitting onstage, not Janette. Janette is Rita's mother and passed away a few years ago. I wish you could have met her. She was one of the most genuine, down-to-earth people in the world. She really was quite surprised when the Fold started to be such a success. Her main object in starting the Fold was to honor a promise to her father to see that his music was carried on. The Fold and Janette (and her brother, Joe, an awesome musician and songwriter also) are probably responsible for a lot of the music being preserved and passed on to enthusiastic young people who are playing it. Janette's success with the Fold inspired a lot of other people to start music venues in the area. The Fold also helped us in another way -- it made us proud of our mountain heritage. This music would probably have become extinct in another generation or so, given the outside influences of MTV, etc.. Young people have discovered that it's not only fun to play, but that you meet a lot of great people in this music."

Peggy Hensley 4/20/12

Oh I almost forgot, we also went up to Clintwood to the Stanley museum which was quite good as well with lots of listening stations are memorobilia. It was a treat to see the area where the Stanley brothers grew up ( a few miles from the museum in the town of McClure. If you don't know much about country music, Ralph Stanley sang "Oh Death" on the soundtrack for the film "Oh Brother Where Art Thou," a must see as Kate and I like to say.