Musicians - June Carter Cash

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	Musicians - June Carter Cash

June Carter Cash (June 23, 1929 – May 15, 2003) was a singer, songwriter, a member of the first family of country music, the Carter Family, and the wife of legendary singer Johnny Cash. She played the guitar, banjo, and autoharp.

The Carter Family

Valerie June Carter was born in Maces Springs, Virginia, the middle daughter of Ezra "Eck" Carter and Maybelle Carter (Mother Maybelle). In the winter of 1937–1939 the Carter Family travelled with younger sister Anita and older sister Helen to Texas where they had a twice-daily program on border radio station XERA (later XERF) in Villa Acuña (now Ciudad Acuña), Mexico, across the border from Del Rio, Texas. Then in school, June did not accompany them. Beginning with the 1939/1940 season, June joined the Carters, this time in San Antonio, Texas, where the group's work was pre-recorded and distributed to multiple border radio stations (XELO, XEG, XERB, and XEPN). June's musical contribution to the group consisted of her playing the autoharp.

For the last half of 1940, Mother Maybelle, June and her sisters were based back in Scott County, Virginia and went on show dates through Virginia, Tennessee and North Carolina. June's Aunt Sylvia Carter, A.P,'s sister, joined them to play autoharp. They were also joined by her uncle, Hugh Jack "Doc" Addington, Maybelle's brother. Doc was partners with Carl P. McConnell, his and Maybelle's second cousin. As "Doc and Carl, The Virginia Boys" they had their own Mexican border radio show. Over thirty years later. Johnny Cash told Carl that when he was young he would come in from the cotton fields in Arkansas to listen on the radio to Doc and Carl and a young June Carter, his future wife, but then still unknown to him.

In the fall of 1942, the Carters moved their program to WBT radio in Charlotte, North Carolina for a one-year contract. They occupied the sunrise slot with the program airing between 5:15 and 6:15 a.m. June attended Paw Creek High School following the show on weekdays.

With Mother Maybelle & the Carter Sisters

In March, 1943, when the Carter Family trio stopped recording together after the WBT contract, Maybelle Carter, with encouragement from her husband Ezra, formed Mother Maybelle & the Carter Sisters with her daughters Helen Carter, Anita Carter, and June. The new group first aired on radio station WRNL in Richmond, Virginia on 1 June 1943. Doc and Carl rejoined them in late 1945. Sixteen-year old June was a co-announcer with Ken Allyn and did the commercials on the radio shows. For the next year, the Carters and Doc and Carl did show dates within driving range of Richmond through Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and Pennsylvania. June had to work harder at her music than her sisters, but she had her own special talent, comedy. A highlight of the road shows was June's "Aunt Polly" comedy routine. Carl wrote in his memoirs, "...a natural born clown, if there ever was one."

June attended John Marshall High School during this period. In 1946, they moved to more powerful, semi-clear channel WRVA to join Sunshine Sue Workman's "Old Dominion Barn Dance" in the same city. In 1948, the group left Richmond and returned to Maces Springs.

After a short stay in southwest Virginia, Mother Maybelle and the Carter Sisters headed off to Knoxville, Tennessee where they had yet another radio contract on WNOX. Here they met and teamed with a young Chet Atkins. In 1949, the family travelled to Springfield, Missouri where they entertained on KWTO.

Ezra Carter declined Grand Ole Opry offers to move the family to Nashville, Tennessee a number of times because the Opry would not permit Chet Atkins to accompany the group. Finally, in 1950 Opry management relented and the group, along with Atkins, became part of the Opry company. Here the family befriended Hank Williams and Elvis Presley and June would meet Johnny Cash.

With her thin and lanky frame, June often played a comedic foil during the group's performances alongside other Opry stars Faron Young and Webb Pierce.

On her own

In the mid-1950s, June moved to New York City at the urging of Elia Kazan and studied at The Actor's Studio. Kazan had seen her on stage in Tennessee and thought she had great potential. She stayed with Kazan and his wife in their apartment. During this period, she became close friends with Robert Duvall and dated James Dean. June's acting career netted her one feature film, Country Music Holiday (1958), several guest spots on TV Westerns, and a few roles on soap operas. Throughout these years, she retained her Grand Ole Opry membership.

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Musicians - June Carter Cash

The Carter Family

With Mother Maybelle & the Carter Sisters

On her own

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