Janette Carter

Who was Janette Carter?

Janette Carter was the last surviving child of A.P. and Sara Carter, of Carter Family musical fame. In 1976, she and community members built an 880-seat amphitheater, the Carter Family Fold, beside the store her father operated in Southwestern Virginia. Today, the Carter Family Fold attracts more than 50,000 visitors a year. She had three children from her first husband: Donald William, Rita Janette, and James Delaney. The surviving two reside in her hometown of Maces Spring, Virginia, which is nestled in Poor Valley at the foot of Clinch Mountain. She was awarded the Bess Lomax Hawes NEA National Heritage Award in 2005 for her lifelong advocacy for the performance and preservation of Appalachian music.