A member of country music royalty, Anita Carter started singing at the age of 17 on the Grand Ole Opry with the Carter Sisters, of which she was the youngest. Born March 31, 1933, she played the upright bass as part of the Carter Family, which started in the 1930s and broke up in the 40s. Her mother Maybelle, a cousin and original member of the Carter Family with A.P. and Sara Carter, reconstituted the group in 1943 with her own daughters Anita, Helen, and June. June later married Johnny Cash and was Roseanne Cash’s mom.
As a duet artist, Anita had hits with Hank Snow with "Bluebird Island" b/w "Down the Trail of Achin' Hearts," both of which reached the Country Music Top Ten. Anita Carter recorded as a single artist for Jamie in 1960, with her releases, "Mama Don't Cry At My Wedding” b/w “Moon Girl” (Jamie 1154) and “Tryin' To Forget About You” b/w “That's All I Want From You” (Jamie 1167), just before joining The Carter Family association with Johnny Cash that started in 1961. June and Johnny were married in 1967 and the Carters were on his ABC network TV show from 1969 to 1971. The Carters disbanded in 1969 and Anita recorded on RCA on her own starting in 1966, charting with "I'm Gonna Leave You" and again with the duet with Waylon Jennings, "I Got You," in 1968. She also recorded for United Artists and Capitol.
Anita suffered from rheumatoid arthritis, which caused her to take drugs that severely damaged her vital organs. She died at the age of 66 under the care of her sister June and brother-in-law Johnny Cash in Hendersonville, Tennesee, on July 29, 1999.
