Helen reminds me of Mother Maybelle so much. She seemed like she would've been such a sweet person to know! I wish I could've known her and all the Carters.
This is a great video,thanks for posting. Listen to it with your eyes closed, you would just think it was Mother Maybelle! They are sadly missed and always will be!!
All the Carter ladies could sing beautifully, besides being beautiful. The most striking feature of the family as performers, to my mind, is the dignity, poise and pride with which they performed. They presented themselves as mature, serious artists and the audience consequently gave them highest respect. The records they made oh so long ago have not aged.
I first heard the Carter Fam on tv backabout 45 yrs ago I was just a little jack pine hillbilly then and I thought Helen Carter walked on water 45 yrs later I still do
@krisda25 Helen would have loved to have heard you say this. She was a wonderful person and so approachable. It was a privilege to know her and to listen to her stories. I know it may be impossible to find these days but Helen did a video "Mother Maybelle's 'Carter Scratch' " in which she demonstrates her mother's three styles of playing. With her help, I found one a long time ago. Sadly, it was as Helen described it of poor color quality but still a rare find. I miss her a lot...
zelig500, you nailed it!! I too would have sat with her and enjoyed more than one cup, just aking her questions about her family, her plans for the future, what her greatest moments were. This entire family had a lot of experiences that is for sure, and knew a lot of famous people. A big family dinner must have been quite an experience. Imagine her teaching you some guitar!!
Just common simple folk, with giant talents and willingness to give their best to their fans. Sure miss these girls, hard to replace their kind. Helen Carter really had it together here.
The entire Carter Family was outstanding. I am so glad to have found all this special music and singing. Gospel and country. My mind goes back to the good ole days of yesterday. Thank you so much for posting it
Absolutlly amazing and the first time I heard this song was in 1995 4 years after I was born sadlly I was a child and got into a car crash.but that's beside the fact.
fantastic -wonderful ! The timing of some phrases are just a fraction behind the beat giving an extra special feel ! Great stuff. God bless them old timey Carter Family
Excellent Thanks For Posting No Miming Here Pity The New Singers Like Britanny Spears And Madonna ETC Cant Perform Live Like This And This Was Performed On Old Recording Equipment
Beautiful. Helen captures both the guitar style and vocal style of her mother so well. It's great to see her keep the tradition alive. I hope it's never lost. Great performance, Love the smiles too!
great song ,,, i was 16 about the time this was recorded in '78 and now im 47 and still love every second of this video in 2010,,,,,thanks carter family.
Few things in the world are sadder than unrequited love. Here it is in all its exquisite wretchedness ... its pure and terrible beauty. Helen Carter was a great guitar player and a class act. I would have liked to have had a cup of coffee with her
Haha apparently she was a lot of fun. June's daughter Carlene tells a great story about her being on stage, keeping time with her spiked heel, and how the heel came off so she used the other one instead, then that one broke so she was half fallen backwards still playing her guitar =P
A great musician from a great family, and an absolutely wonderful song. I learned this song before I learned anything else on the guitar!!
as an old violin/fiddle player it finally dawned on me how MMC played...much like i would do a "pzzicato" (sp) or a bass player would play withou a bow! dman, i dont know if she did it out of watching that or she picked like that out of what was natural to her..in any case mother maybell is in a class by herself!
i love helen, too. she did such a good job sounding like her mom.
Mother Maybelle was the absolute best picker, and could outpick them all, but I do love how Helen picks, too! She looks like she's snapping her fingers! :D
Plus, you can tell her mama taught her how to pick! :)
I am in love with Helen. I wish I could have met her. I love the sequence between 2:05 and 2:16. It must have been some kind of difficult ... it's like ... she can't even believe she pulled it off.
Yeah, Helen's guitar style is different than Maybelle's. This is a great rendition, but my favorite is a much earlier version with Maybelle's vocal and guitar. I never get tired of hearing this song
This song makes me cry everytime .. it's beauty is in its infinite sadness. Hellen was a treasure ... so classy and such a humble stage presence. Did Emmylou Harris ever do this song with Dolly Parton.
It's pure Americana Zel,brings a tear to my eye too !! And I'm A punkrocker too. !!! It's what Americans contributed to the world,we're not as bad as some people think !
I've never been a Yank basher .... I'm from Canada ... and I hate people whose starting position in life is "America Bad". . and it's funny how you identify as a punk rocker ... I'm 48 now, but in my day I was all Patti Smith, all Bowie, all Roxy, all Sex Pistols .. all Joy Division ... all the time. My tastes have broadened a bit over the years to appreciate something like Wildwood Flower ... but I will never dig on progressive rock ... never. Bands like Supertramp and Geneisis make me puke.
good point, mate...Prog rock is to me like all that poodle haired supposed "hard rock" of the late 80's and early 90's...Poison..?Bon Jovi? arse..Keep the faith..
As a guitar builder and player, a few comments regarding Maybelle and the guitar. We must remember that she PIONEERED a new way of playing at a time when lead guitar players were rare. Her style was influential to all the dozens of greats that followed like Doc Watson, Chet Atkins, Merle Travis and yes even Earl Scruggs who is also a master guitar player besides banjo. Maybelle lived to realize just how much she influenced guitar playing and the love of the instrument. She was a great player.
No doubts about Earl pickin a guitar. I would rather him pick a guitar than a banjo myself. He put such drive and feelings into those amazing gospel tunes they did. Lester singing, Earl pickin a guitar. It'll sure butter up your biscuit on a Sunday morn before church!
Not to be a know-it-all, but I have been a fan of country music for a long time, longer than a lot of people have lived. I can remember Pop Stoneman of the Stoneman Family playing autoharp years ago, plus I remember Dolly Parton having one played on one of her songs, but I can't recall at the moment which song it was.
One Called Wildflowers. Dolly plays the fire out of the autoharp, as does her sister Stella. But, Maybelle is my hero. I have a great deal of interviews that she had given on tape and just as many audio/video recordings. I have listened to her style since I was 8 years old and it has never ceased to amaze me. Check out my channel.
You're right about the title of the Dolly song. The Carters and Jimmie Rodgers were the superstars of their day before superstars existed. They gave us a foundation to build upon and are still very much a part not only of country music history, but also of country music as it exists today. My guess is that Wildwood Flower has probably been played more often and by more guitar players than any other guitar tune in history. I'm positive that is true of country guitar players.
I'm sure Wildwood Flower has been picked the more often than any other tune. Well, you ar a true Country Music fan as I am and I salute you for it!! Many happy returns to you!
arabian;you and i are the same age[according to your profile].i knew there had to be others who had played it.i just couldn't recall ever having seen anyone but the carters using it.i can't understand it unless it was a very difficult instrument to learn or play.
I think the autoharp is really easy to play. Not that I play one, but I have seen them played and pushing buttons creates a complete chord to strum from which the melody notes can be chosen and played.
I was born 14 Apr 46 and came from a half-musical family (my mother's side). They were Sacred Harp and Gospel singers.
I even played in several country bands myself as a singer for many years, but learned it's not profitable and takes a heavy toll on families and health (not enough rest).
I meant to say also that autoharp produces an old-fashioned sound and wouldn't be considered "cool" enough for most of today's performers. Well, I just used a word I hate, "cool". I think that's why autoharp is so rare these days.
That's a thought and I might enjoy doing that sometime. I don't have a video camera at this time. Mine stopped working (wasn't all that good to begin with) and I've never replaced it.
As a former singer, in my opinion, Anita is the better singer of the bunch, but the Carter family harmony, picking and classic songs were every bit as much a part of their legacy as the lead singing. I admire all of them very much.
I agree. Anita was a better singer in the context of the day. The lead singing is flawless. Maybelle usually sang the alto, Helen second alto, Anita first suprano and June second suprano. Great Singing and playing for sure
Thanks, I love the Carters' music. When we listen, we should also remember this music was created and performed in an era when country music was in its infancy. Nobody had set the standard before them or their contemporaries, such as Jimmie Rodgers. The value of music is largely in its creation, as much as, maybe more than, the performance itself. Country music performers today have all kinds of quality music to use as a standard but creation comes from the heart and exposes inner character.
It's always great to watch Johnny when he's watching the Carters. He absolutely adored his mother-in-law and held the Carter family in such high esteem.
Helen totally knocks it out of the park here - what a great talent, and truly her mother's daughter!
This is absolutely stunning. I only recently got into the Carter family music and cherish this performance of one of the great songs. I only vaguely knew of Helen and Anita so to see them at peak form even after all their years as performers.
In my opinion, Helen Carter never did get the praise and regognition she truly deserved. Many have said Anita was by far the best singer of the girls. While Anita did have a very pretty (high) voice, Helen could definitely hold her own vocally. And Helen was definitely the best musician of the sisters. While she did not "take charge" of the guitar as forcefully and agressively as Mother Maybelle did, she was still quite capable. Sadly, she left us much too soon. 5 STARS!
A beautiful song sung by the most talented musical family ever. Doesn't get any better than this. I will always remember the day I hurt Helen Carter sing this song at our fair. Thanks for posting.
Helen is a Sweetheart!!! And she is my Hero I dont think thair is anaybody better and more kind Heartet than Helen Carter. She is just Smiling and giggleing all the time. It is to bad she passedaway ant such a young age.This Woman is a work of art and you call her UGLY you Cold hearted Foulish Person you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yes Helen is always smiling big in the pictures I have seen of her. She seemed like such a happy person and really sweet. I just got the Anita Carter box set and it has a great bio of her and the same thing was said of her, very sweet and kind. I think they all were.
you know whats weird? helen sounds and looks like mother maybelle and june and anita look alike but dont sound like each other none of the carter girls look like ezra though
Wow sge sounds so much like Maybelle, too bad she didn't have an old L-5, like Mother Maybelle's. But she still sounded awesome. Too much lipstick though.
too much lipstick - good grief - who cares - If you interested in fashion - go look at a magazine, if you want good music listen to the carter sisters.
The lipstick was not the focus of my comment, it was a sidenote, I am honestly more interested in the music, Helen does sound so much like her mother, but looks nothing like her.
I always did think thatr Helen was a great looking lady and i've always loved her solo's too! but this pickin' the wildwood flower is one of her finer moments on stage!
I miss them all now that they are all gone!the next generation will never be as good nor sing and pick like mother maybell,june,helen and anita cater!
You are such a foolish person. Beauty is within. Beauty comes from the soul and here was a woman and a family who brought beauty into the lives of people who had nothing. Someday you might understand.
Yes, Helen sounds very much like her mother& captured her style perfectly. If you look very closely to the other video clips, you will see that mom used steel thumb & finger picks & created a more distinct sound. Helen using only her fingers & nails, creates a mellower sound causing some to say the guitar is the difference. Both sounds are great.
Many may try, but no one will truly capture their beatiful style & blend.
Helen was such a wonderful person and never met a stranger. She learned to play guitar from her mother and made a video (hard to find) and her aunt Sara. She was quick to credit Sara for some of her style playing. Notice how she holds her hand when picking. She played the Wildwood Flower best when using her mother's 1928 L5 Gibson. I miss her a great deal.
Big D J Never criticize anyone else's looks, aspecially since, your mother couldnt afford to have you vaccinated, and done it herself, with a Gramophone needle, and that is why your stuck in the same groove all the time, when you were born the doctor slapped your mother
Thanks for sharing this gem. It wasn't often we got to see Helen singing lead and pickin'. It's hard to believe all the Carter sisters are gone now, but they'll surely live on in our hearts!
when i was a small boy dad used to(he still does) play an LP record of jim reeves which had chet atkins doing wildwood flower on his guitar.i would repeatedly play this tune at full volume when nobody's home(small town in india!!).liked it so much.now got the chance to watch the videos of the carter family doing it.thanks a lot for uploading folks.thanks to u tube.and thanks to mother maybelle & co.kiran
Maybelle and the entire Carter family, along with Johnnny Cash were all in a class by themselves. Did you know that Maybelle's L2 Gibson guitar was purchased by a millionire and donated to the Country Music Hall of Fame. The reported price? In the neighborhood of a half million dollars. Nice neighborhood.
I love watching this classics of the Carter family, especially Mother Maybelle playing her guitar. I don't know why people bother answering to dipstiks like big dj.
Mother Maybelle was a good guitar player but there were other guitar players like Sam MAGEE riley puckettwho were far better playersthey played in that time frame.a black guitar named riddles travelled with the carter family and taught mother maybell many of the the songs cannonball blues came directly from him
i love the whole carter family, they are the pioneers to music today, maybelle taught herself to play the guitar, when she played it always sounded like two people were playing at the same time, i think she was a blessing to the music industry.
infact just for the record, I happen to like June Carter very much, as Cash is my favorite singer and they did many good records together. Maybelle can play pretty good, she had her own style, but I've seen better. Thats all I was saying. I Can play what shes playing right there, it's extraordinarily easy.
This is stupid. Maybelle har hed own way of guitarplaying, and I think we all can admit that she was a great guitarplayer. i often listen to the old recordings from the 20s and the 30s, only to hear her guitar. It makes all of the songs so special and fine! I think Helen can play well, too!
Doc Watson is a very fine and influential guitar player. His first album was released in 1964. The Carter Family's first recordings were made in 1927 (when Doc was 3 years old.)
When she can play as well as Doc Watson, let me know. That isn't going to happen because she's dead. Doc Watson was born before Maybelle, and was playing the guitar and banjo before she even came along.
Please Get your facts straight bud. Maybelle was born in 1909 and Doc in 1923. The first song that Doc learned to play was "When the roses bloom in dixieland" which was a 1929 recording by the Carter Family.
I will be the first to say that Doc Watson is an AMAZING guitarist, BUT, you simply are acting a fool! The Carter family recorded for the first time, August 2, 1927. Doc, born March 3, 1923, was ALMOST 4 1/2 years old! So go back and learn some info before you spout this off, because evenf IF what you say is true, not knowing the facts makes you look bad, and noone will read past that.
This comment has received too many negative votesshow
if helen didnt have bucked teeth she wouldnt be half bad looking lol. The carters never could really sing or play the guitar that well, people just thought they did because they were the first and nobody else ever played anything like it. Better entertainers soon came along. Anita Carter could sing pretty well actually, but the rest were screwed
If Maybelle Carter was such a horrible guitar player then you must explain away why such noted acoustic guitar players as Doc Watson, Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan, Clarence White and Norman Blake copied her Carter Scratch and all acknowledge Maybelle's playing as their inspiration. I doubt you can explain this away.
go to hell you son of a bitch, the carter family was awesome and will always be ten times better than youll ever be because your so much of a pussy you have to insult legends just to make your shitty little life look half decent you fuckin dipshit
dude i swear to god if i ever see you, i will beat the living shit out of you, if you think you're so damn good at playing the guitar, post it on youtube you little shit
hey johnny this is amazing xxx
summa0humma 2 months ago
Helen reminds me of Mother Maybelle so much. She seemed like she would've been such a sweet person to know! I wish I could've known her and all the Carters.
jleegivens 3 months ago
Nice to see Helen in front, for once
ariadne2956 4 months ago
Interesting to see how Helen modified the "Carter Scratch" method of playing...subtle but nice
docsavage98 5 months ago
So talented. Such beautiful harmony . I love love love it.
TaraLee1221 5 months ago
Can't find replacement for the sisters
DannyShaw3388 5 months ago
amazin song she sings it beautifully, johnny sings it aswell an really works, such a sweet song with a rugged voice! class
doubleook 5 months ago
BUSH RULES
vruno2x4 5 months ago
Love this song and the Carter family. God Speed.
HARLEYBOY33 6 months ago
I get choked up every time I see the girls perform this song.......especially with Mom in the group.
hunterv41 7 months ago
She sings it beautifully.
TaraLee1221 7 months ago
This has always been one of my very favourite songs and this would be the best of all performances
xlb6939 8 months ago
This is a great video,thanks for posting. Listen to it with your eyes closed, you would just think it was Mother Maybelle! They are sadly missed and always will be!!
countrybible 8 months ago
Comment removed
countrybible 8 months ago
...I always thought Helen was the most interesting of the sisters....!
yedon68 8 months ago
All the Carter ladies could sing beautifully, besides being beautiful. The most striking feature of the family as performers, to my mind, is the dignity, poise and pride with which they performed. They presented themselves as mature, serious artists and the audience consequently gave them highest respect. The records they made oh so long ago have not aged.
waynebrasler 9 months ago 2
This is a fantastic post.
fngrpkn06 10 months ago
I first heard the Carter Fam on tv backabout 45 yrs ago I was just a little jack pine hillbilly then and I thought Helen Carter walked on water 45 yrs later I still do
MultiShingles 11 months ago 2
Helen is lovely. She looks a lot like Mother Maybelle.
fordroad 11 months ago
that's a very lovely woman (Jan) standing beside Helen
carl2010ist 11 months ago
this is a very beautiful woman doing a great job on a real classic.
carl2010ist 11 months ago
It's almost spooky how much she looks, sounds, and plays guitar like her mother!
krisda25 1 year ago
@krisda25 Helen would have loved to have heard you say this. She was a wonderful person and so approachable. It was a privilege to know her and to listen to her stories. I know it may be impossible to find these days but Helen did a video "Mother Maybelle's 'Carter Scratch' " in which she demonstrates her mother's three styles of playing. With her help, I found one a long time ago. Sadly, it was as Helen described it of poor color quality but still a rare find. I miss her a lot...
wmoday 11 months ago
Helen was always my favorite.
ninjacombat11 1 year ago
june was always my favorite
superbeastykid 1 year ago
zelig500, you nailed it!! I too would have sat with her and enjoyed more than one cup, just aking her questions about her family, her plans for the future, what her greatest moments were. This entire family had a lot of experiences that is for sure, and knew a lot of famous people. A big family dinner must have been quite an experience. Imagine her teaching you some guitar!!
brucew44guns 1 year ago
Just common simple folk, with giant talents and willingness to give their best to their fans. Sure miss these girls, hard to replace their kind. Helen Carter really had it together here.
brucew44guns 1 year ago
Helen's voice is such a dead ringer for Mother Maybelle's compared to June or Anita.
lierxagerate 1 year ago
At 0:53 far right, in black, is that Johnny?
Katzeleine 1 year ago
@Katzeleine Yes
lierxagerate 1 year ago
@lierxagerate .... thanks
Katzeleine 1 year ago
Comment removed
carl2010ist 1 year ago 2
The entire Carter Family was outstanding. I am so glad to have found all this special music and singing. Gospel and country. My mind goes back to the good ole days of yesterday. Thank you so much for posting it
carl2010ist 1 year ago
@ngabetutube Oops! Didn't see your post until after I had posted mine. Sorry 'bout the echo.
ThomasASwilling 1 year ago
LIke mother like daughter. She has her mother's guitar style down pat.
ThomasASwilling 1 year ago
Beautiful performance by a class act.
alfagtvjan 1 year ago
like mother like daughters. wildwood flower lives on with these carter sister. always my favourite song.
ngabetutube 1 year ago
Absolutlly amazing and the first time I heard this song was in 1995 4 years after I was born sadlly I was a child and got into a car crash.but that's beside the fact.
chrisnixon16 1 year ago
God Bless Mother Maybelle...
antzzy1 1 year ago
Lovely lady, lovely song!
Smasher5257 1 year ago
Just beautiful
Sambob33 1 year ago
JR always said that Helen Carter was the best songwriter in the Carter family. He wasn't wrong in my book. I'm Loving it.
Tonycrashed 1 year ago
Nice to see people really enjoying their music. This kind of stuff will never get old
prophet106 1 year ago 3
fantastic -wonderful ! The timing of some phrases are just a fraction behind the beat giving an extra special feel ! Great stuff. God bless them old timey Carter Family
stratking69er 1 year ago
Long live Country(blue grass).
This is Awesome.
misszest2502 1 year ago
Excellent Thanks For Posting No Miming Here Pity The New Singers Like Britanny Spears And Madonna ETC Cant Perform Live Like This And This Was Performed On Old Recording Equipment
korkybb 1 year ago
The Circle is by no means broken!
TheNJBilly 1 year ago
Beautiful. Helen captures both the guitar style and vocal style of her mother so well. It's great to see her keep the tradition alive. I hope it's never lost. Great performance, Love the smiles too!
macpaulster 1 year ago 4
great song ,,, i was 16 about the time this was recorded in '78 and now im 47 and still love every second of this video in 2010,,,,,thanks carter family.
meyerfulton3 2 years ago 3
Few things in the world are sadder than unrequited love. Here it is in all its exquisite wretchedness ... its pure and terrible beauty. Helen Carter was a great guitar player and a class act. I would have liked to have had a cup of coffee with her
ZELIG500 2 years ago 20
Haha apparently she was a lot of fun. June's daughter Carlene tells a great story about her being on stage, keeping time with her spiked heel, and how the heel came off so she used the other one instead, then that one broke so she was half fallen backwards still playing her guitar =P
A great musician from a great family, and an absolutely wonderful song. I learned this song before I learned anything else on the guitar!!
Joebycool 1 year ago
Thanks for the story. By the way, the first two songs I learn ed on the guitar were by the Stones:
As Tears Go By
and
Jumpin' Jack Flash
I would have loved to have seen the Carters live in their prime.
ZELIG500 1 year ago
Just like her mother did :)
AlexisGuitar94 2 years ago
as an old violin/fiddle player it finally dawned on me how MMC played...much like i would do a "pzzicato" (sp) or a bass player would play withou a bow! dman, i dont know if she did it out of watching that or she picked like that out of what was natural to her..in any case mother maybell is in a class by herself!
i love helen, too. she did such a good job sounding like her mom.
brava!
highonimmi 2 years ago
Mother Maybelle was the absolute best picker, and could outpick them all, but I do love how Helen picks, too! She looks like she's snapping her fingers! :D
Plus, you can tell her mama taught her how to pick! :)
juniper30 2 years ago 4
I am in love with Helen. I wish I could have met her. I love the sequence between 2:05 and 2:16. It must have been some kind of difficult ... it's like ... she can't even believe she pulled it off.
ZELIG500 2 years ago 4
Just listen to the haunting major melody, as haunting as a major key can be with twists and turns of timing that are amazing and inspired.
mostlyrightous 2 years ago
Yeah, Helen's guitar style is different than Maybelle's. This is a great rendition, but my favorite is a much earlier version with Maybelle's vocal and guitar. I never get tired of hearing this song
gringoflamenco 2 years ago
me, too!!
beatlenut53 2 years ago
Helen's style is different than her mother's.
promagnum 2 years ago
I never get tired of listening to these women sing and play. Just wonderful. :)
ColdFusionGames 2 years ago 3
Helen is my favourite, she was such a wonderful musician but most importantly she was a wonderful lady.
swansrule1 2 years ago 37
wow helen looks and sounds like her mamma miss maybell gotta love her
shinnymissjenny 2 years ago
is this the same as
Emmylou Harris - How She Could Sing The Wildwood Flower
ruggedterrain3 2 years ago
no. sorry x
mog1946 2 years ago
jojojo...
God bless you despite you.
miamaz 2 years ago 2
This has been flagged as spam show
helen is so fucking ugly. she needs to tuck her damn bucked teeth in her fat fucking lips.
jojojojo123098 2 years ago
June made Jan Howard leave the tour.
2717Sunnyside 2 years ago
Jan Howard was having a thing with JC. June kicked off the tour.
2717Sunnyside 2 years ago
I LOVE this video! You can't beat family harmony, and the Carter Family was the absolute BEST!
Crabbfan28 2 years ago 4
Find the grand old Opry version... It is one of the fastest songs I have ever heard and I used to be a Psychobilly....Cool
OSLAINTE123 2 years ago
This song makes me cry everytime .. it's beauty is in its infinite sadness. Hellen was a treasure ... so classy and such a humble stage presence. Did Emmylou Harris ever do this song with Dolly Parton.
ZELIG500 2 years ago
It's pure Americana Zel,brings a tear to my eye too !! And I'm A punkrocker too. !!! It's what Americans contributed to the world,we're not as bad as some people think !
MFIORE7511 2 years ago
I've never been a Yank basher .... I'm from Canada ... and I hate people whose starting position in life is "America Bad". . and it's funny how you identify as a punk rocker ... I'm 48 now, but in my day I was all Patti Smith, all Bowie, all Roxy, all Sex Pistols .. all Joy Division ... all the time. My tastes have broadened a bit over the years to appreciate something like Wildwood Flower ... but I will never dig on progressive rock ... never. Bands like Supertramp and Geneisis make me puke.
ZELIG500 2 years ago 2
good point, mate...Prog rock is to me like all that poodle haired supposed "hard rock" of the late 80's and early 90's...Poison..?Bon Jovi? arse..Keep the faith..
OSLAINTE123 2 years ago 2
Helen is so classy, a beautiful woman.
nomadak47 2 years ago 3
A wonderful video! I really like hearing Helen sing. No one sings and plays the Wildwood Flower like the Carter Family.
Thanks for posting
terriguitar 2 years ago 5
if i hadnt known any better i would have thought it was mother mabell,she sounded just like her
ronaldsmusicfactory 2 years ago 2
One of the most talanted of the family playing the wildwood flower!
HelenCarterFan 3 years ago 3
Beautiful.
GodsWildfire 3 years ago 2
As a guitar builder and player, a few comments regarding Maybelle and the guitar. We must remember that she PIONEERED a new way of playing at a time when lead guitar players were rare. Her style was influential to all the dozens of greats that followed like Doc Watson, Chet Atkins, Merle Travis and yes even Earl Scruggs who is also a master guitar player besides banjo. Maybelle lived to realize just how much she influenced guitar playing and the love of the instrument. She was a great player.
Wilmot1550 3 years ago 5
No doubts about Earl pickin a guitar. I would rather him pick a guitar than a banjo myself. He put such drive and feelings into those amazing gospel tunes they did. Lester singing, Earl pickin a guitar. It'll sure butter up your biscuit on a Sunday morn before church!
Rcksaltnnails 3 years ago
amen brother
floridajeet 2 years ago
one of the few groups to use the auto harp in their music.i can't remember ever seeing another singer featuring the auto harp.
wilmaohman 3 years ago
Not to be a know-it-all, but I have been a fan of country music for a long time, longer than a lot of people have lived. I can remember Pop Stoneman of the Stoneman Family playing autoharp years ago, plus I remember Dolly Parton having one played on one of her songs, but I can't recall at the moment which song it was.
Arabian64 3 years ago
One Called Wildflowers. Dolly plays the fire out of the autoharp, as does her sister Stella. But, Maybelle is my hero. I have a great deal of interviews that she had given on tape and just as many audio/video recordings. I have listened to her style since I was 8 years old and it has never ceased to amaze me. Check out my channel.
Ridger1978 3 years ago
You're right about the title of the Dolly song. The Carters and Jimmie Rodgers were the superstars of their day before superstars existed. They gave us a foundation to build upon and are still very much a part not only of country music history, but also of country music as it exists today. My guess is that Wildwood Flower has probably been played more often and by more guitar players than any other guitar tune in history. I'm positive that is true of country guitar players.
Arabian64 3 years ago
I'm sure Wildwood Flower has been picked the more often than any other tune. Well, you ar a true Country Music fan as I am and I salute you for it!! Many happy returns to you!
Ridger1978 3 years ago
arabian;you and i are the same age[according to your profile].i knew there had to be others who had played it.i just couldn't recall ever having seen anyone but the carters using it.i can't understand it unless it was a very difficult instrument to learn or play.
wilmaohman 3 years ago
I think the autoharp is really easy to play. Not that I play one, but I have seen them played and pushing buttons creates a complete chord to strum from which the melody notes can be chosen and played.
I was born 14 Apr 46 and came from a half-musical family (my mother's side). They were Sacred Harp and Gospel singers.
I even played in several country bands myself as a singer for many years, but learned it's not profitable and takes a heavy toll on families and health (not enough rest).
Arabian64 3 years ago
I meant to say also that autoharp produces an old-fashioned sound and wouldn't be considered "cool" enough for most of today's performers. Well, I just used a word I hate, "cool". I think that's why autoharp is so rare these days.
Arabian64 3 years ago
i'm 2/5/45 same generation.if you enjoying singing and playing maybe you could do some videos and post them on your channel.
wilmaohman 3 years ago
That's a thought and I might enjoy doing that sometime. I don't have a video camera at this time. Mine stopped working (wasn't all that good to begin with) and I've never replaced it.
Arabian64 3 years ago
I didn't realize how much she sounded like her mother. Beautiful rendition and some nice picking!
1asset 3 years ago 2
As a former singer, in my opinion, Anita is the better singer of the bunch, but the Carter family harmony, picking and classic songs were every bit as much a part of their legacy as the lead singing. I admire all of them very much.
Arabian64 3 years ago 3
I agree. Anita was a better singer in the context of the day. The lead singing is flawless. Maybelle usually sang the alto, Helen second alto, Anita first suprano and June second suprano. Great Singing and playing for sure
Ridger1978 3 years ago
Thanks, I love the Carters' music. When we listen, we should also remember this music was created and performed in an era when country music was in its infancy. Nobody had set the standard before them or their contemporaries, such as Jimmie Rodgers. The value of music is largely in its creation, as much as, maybe more than, the performance itself. Country music performers today have all kinds of quality music to use as a standard but creation comes from the heart and exposes inner character.
Arabian64 3 years ago
Stunning stuff. Long may this music live.
sunburstfender 3 years ago 3
Nice to see Anita play guitar!!
countryfan5 3 years ago
Enorme talent !!!!
dexnathan 3 years ago 2
It's always great to watch Johnny when he's watching the Carters. He absolutely adored his mother-in-law and held the Carter family in such high esteem.
Helen totally knocks it out of the park here - what a great talent, and truly her mother's daughter!
Thank you for posting~
GodsFavoriteBassPlyr 3 years ago 4
This is absolutely stunning. I only recently got into the Carter family music and cherish this performance of one of the great songs. I only vaguely knew of Helen and Anita so to see them at peak form even after all their years as performers.
gedwa822 3 years ago 3
In my opinion, Helen Carter never did get the praise and regognition she truly deserved. Many have said Anita was by far the best singer of the girls. While Anita did have a very pretty (high) voice, Helen could definitely hold her own vocally. And Helen was definitely the best musician of the sisters. While she did not "take charge" of the guitar as forcefully and agressively as Mother Maybelle did, she was still quite capable. Sadly, she left us much too soon. 5 STARS!
MoJoPiano 3 years ago 3
Wow. Helen did a fantastic job capturing the flavor of her mother's style, yet she does have a style all her own too.
BubbaFart 3 years ago
Helen Carter Died at age 70 in 1998 from Gastrointestinal Problems
MARTIND45S 3 years ago
truly great;she captured her mums talent;for sure....how did she die and she was so young...what a shame
tuktukskagal 3 years ago
A beautiful song sung by the most talented musical family ever. Doesn't get any better than this. I will always remember the day I hurt Helen Carter sing this song at our fair. Thanks for posting.
moonhop 3 years ago 2
to have been there that night and seen and heard this ! would have been so great. God only knows.
tealeafsen 3 years ago 2
Maybelle Carter plays fantastic guitar and those girls are very cute.More of those memorable video's please! May I add ten stars, five is not enough!
jt123egypte 3 years ago 7
Thank you so much for this wonderful post. Helen was SO astounding- just like her mother.
fordtruxdad 3 years ago 3
Helen is a Sweetheart!!! And she is my Hero I dont think thair is anaybody better and more kind Heartet than Helen Carter. She is just Smiling and giggleing all the time. It is to bad she passedaway ant such a young age.This Woman is a work of art and you call her UGLY you Cold hearted Foulish Person you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
MARTIND45S 3 years ago 3
Helen is a sweetheart, always smiling :-)
Peregrin27 3 years ago
Yes Helen is always smiling big in the pictures I have seen of her. She seemed like such a happy person and really sweet. I just got the Anita Carter box set and it has a great bio of her and the same thing was said of her, very sweet and kind. I think they all were.
missdirtysocks 3 years ago
I reckon if i could play those chords i can play any country music They make a base for country What do you think?
Ladybird5352 3 years ago 2
If I was listening to this only, and was told this was Mother maybell singin and playin, I wouldnt argue.
karie1275 4 years ago
you know whats weird? helen sounds and looks like mother maybelle and june and anita look alike but dont sound like each other none of the carter girls look like ezra though
JmarieS813 4 years ago
Wow sge sounds so much like Maybelle, too bad she didn't have an old L-5, like Mother Maybelle's. But she still sounded awesome. Too much lipstick though.
Fozzymaple 4 years ago
too much lipstick - good grief - who cares - If you interested in fashion - go look at a magazine, if you want good music listen to the carter sisters.
raybourne04 3 years ago 2
The lipstick was not the focus of my comment, it was a sidenote, I am honestly more interested in the music, Helen does sound so much like her mother, but looks nothing like her.
Fozzymaple 3 years ago
I always did think thatr Helen was a great looking lady and i've always loved her solo's too! but this pickin' the wildwood flower is one of her finer moments on stage!
I miss them all now that they are all gone!the next generation will never be as good nor sing and pick like mother maybell,june,helen and anita cater!
thank you Johnny Fan11, for posting it here!
sicerely,chuck hemrick...aka,Tarheel
tarheel27019 4 years ago 5
This music is great American music!
HalfGreyhound 4 years ago 2
This song is absolutely beautiful.
tuck8647 4 years ago 3
You are such a foolish person. Beauty is within. Beauty comes from the soul and here was a woman and a family who brought beauty into the lives of people who had nothing. Someday you might understand.
Norfolkscot 4 years ago 14
This has been flagged as spam show
helen carter is such an ugly personne!!!!
she has buck teeth
not a very good siger
\
june is a stupid contry bitch!
dannyrin07 4 years ago
I love Helen, The Carter Family, and Johnny Cash, I wish they were all still alive, but I know they're all making music in Heaven.
rrdoran 4 years ago
Wow, Helen sounds a lot like her mother and she holds her hand like her mother when she plays. What a treat, thanks for posting this.
missdirtysocks 4 years ago
Yes, Helen sounds very much like her mother& captured her style perfectly. If you look very closely to the other video clips, you will see that mom used steel thumb & finger picks & created a more distinct sound. Helen using only her fingers & nails, creates a mellower sound causing some to say the guitar is the difference. Both sounds are great.
Many may try, but no one will truly capture their beatiful style & blend.
mandoabe 4 years ago 6
Helen was such a wonderful person and never met a stranger. She learned to play guitar from her mother and made a video (hard to find) and her aunt Sara. She was quick to credit Sara for some of her style playing. Notice how she holds her hand when picking. She played the Wildwood Flower best when using her mother's 1928 L5 Gibson. I miss her a great deal.
wmoday 4 years ago
Looks like a southern belle to me. Sings a lot better than me, too!
scharwenka1850 4 years ago
She is as good as her mom Maybelle. This is a country music I like.
joebubaus 4 years ago
I love country music but I adore JC and the Carter family Helen is fantastic
ermeos 4 years ago
Wow she was such a good guitar player. I like that version a lot more than the one Reese Witherspoon did on the Walk the line movie.
Lakeboy11 4 years ago
June was the prettiest of them all...but they were all very classy ladies!!!
izzyanddennyfan 4 years ago
classic what more can be said
ballinameen 4 years ago
This is Super Talent.
hoffinator10 4 years ago
this is what makes america today,
you should be proud of these people.
joop444 4 years ago
Big D J Never criticize anyone else's looks, aspecially since, your mother couldnt afford to have you vaccinated, and done it herself, with a Gramophone needle, and that is why your stuck in the same groove all the time, when you were born the doctor slapped your mother
cavaradossij 4 years ago
This is a great video....love to hear the Carter family sing such a wonderful song.
I wish some of the negative comments, however, could be quieted....what good comes out of it??
sil3356 4 years ago 2
I miss country music.
fimfarum18 4 years ago
thats cause they eat a lot of chicken
cdadf3 4 years ago
LOL her nose is huge.
but i love this song.
megandobbs182 4 years ago
She looks good to me. She is purdy.
hoffinator10 4 years ago
Never saw Helen before. She can pick almost as good as Maybelle, which is not an easy picking style.
jamescaptainfarrell 4 years ago
Thanks for sharing this gem. It wasn't often we got to see Helen singing lead and pickin'. It's hard to believe all the Carter sisters are gone now, but they'll surely live on in our hearts!
DaveMass59 4 years ago
i wish i was alive back then to see them live... im only 13
ilovBHH 4 years ago
when i was a small boy dad used to(he still does) play an LP record of jim reeves which had chet atkins doing wildwood flower on his guitar.i would repeatedly play this tune at full volume when nobody's home(small town in india!!).liked it so much.now got the chance to watch the videos of the carter family doing it.thanks a lot for uploading folks.thanks to u tube.and thanks to mother maybelle & co.kiran
accordion2 4 years ago
her buck teeth are so hot.
sfballach 4 years ago
beautiful! ty
shizay74x 4 years ago
Pas mal ce'st la
oddingaa 4 years ago
Maybelle and the entire Carter family, along with Johnnny Cash were all in a class by themselves. Did you know that Maybelle's L2 Gibson guitar was purchased by a millionire and donated to the Country Music Hall of Fame. The reported price? In the neighborhood of a half million dollars. Nice neighborhood.
flyboy1192 4 years ago 2
Thank you for introducing me to the Carters. Have heard of them, of course.
scharwenka1850 4 years ago
What a great clip. Really nice to see Helen have an opportunity to show her talents. Thank you for posting this rare footage.
Carters01 4 years ago
I love watching this classics of the Carter family, especially Mother Maybelle playing her guitar. I don't know why people bother answering to dipstiks like big dj.
garfunkelsimonno1 4 years ago
bravo RRDORAN put that criticisin' twit in the sewer,
a pox on him
cavaradossij 4 years ago
Mother Maybelle was a good guitar player but there were other guitar players like Sam MAGEE riley puckettwho were far better playersthey played in that time frame.a black guitar named riddles travelled with the carter family and taught mother maybell many of the the songs cannonball blues came directly from him
2ndfret 4 years ago
This is GREAT-Thankks!!
jul150 4 years ago
i love the whole carter family, they are the pioneers to music today, maybelle taught herself to play the guitar, when she played it always sounded like two people were playing at the same time, i think she was a blessing to the music industry.
abluechipstock 4 years ago 2
infact just for the record, I happen to like June Carter very much, as Cash is my favorite singer and they did many good records together. Maybelle can play pretty good, she had her own style, but I've seen better. Thats all I was saying. I Can play what shes playing right there, it's extraordinarily easy.
bigdjindustriez 4 years ago
Sorry son...It ain't about whats hard or not.Its about where you come from...If you like JRC then this should be quite clear...
waffe
liftwaffe 4 years ago
I never said the carters were bad, I just said she isn't the greatest guitar player.
bigdjindustriez 4 years ago
yay for the carter sisters and mother maybelle!
lucilleballrules 4 years ago
This is stupid. Maybelle har hed own way of guitarplaying, and I think we all can admit that she was a great guitarplayer. i often listen to the old recordings from the 20s and the 30s, only to hear her guitar. It makes all of the songs so special and fine! I think Helen can play well, too!
taterarneutenski 4 years ago
that's just crosspicking. anyone can do that.
bigdjindustriez 4 years ago
Anyone can do that. Sure. Then you'll have no problem posting your own video as a response here and letting us be the judge?
ritchey65 4 years ago
bigdj, you're an idiot.
branchboy81 4 years ago
Doc Watson is a very fine and influential guitar player. His first album was released in 1964. The Carter Family's first recordings were made in 1927 (when Doc was 3 years old.)
cashfan46 4 years ago
When she can play as well as Doc Watson, let me know. That isn't going to happen because she's dead. Doc Watson was born before Maybelle, and was playing the guitar and banjo before she even came along.
bigdjindustriez 4 years ago
Please Get your facts straight bud. Maybelle was born in 1909 and Doc in 1923. The first song that Doc learned to play was "When the roses bloom in dixieland" which was a 1929 recording by the Carter Family.
Ridger1978 3 years ago 2
I will be the first to say that Doc Watson is an AMAZING guitarist, BUT, you simply are acting a fool! The Carter family recorded for the first time, August 2, 1927. Doc, born March 3, 1923, was ALMOST 4 1/2 years old! So go back and learn some info before you spout this off, because evenf IF what you say is true, not knowing the facts makes you look bad, and noone will read past that.
karie1275 3 years ago 4
This comment has received too many negative votes show
if helen didnt have bucked teeth she wouldnt be half bad looking lol. The carters never could really sing or play the guitar that well, people just thought they did because they were the first and nobody else ever played anything like it. Better entertainers soon came along. Anita Carter could sing pretty well actually, but the rest were screwed
bigdjindustriez 4 years ago
If Maybelle Carter was such a horrible guitar player then you must explain away why such noted acoustic guitar players as Doc Watson, Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan, Clarence White and Norman Blake copied her Carter Scratch and all acknowledge Maybelle's playing as their inspiration. I doubt you can explain this away.
rocknrev 4 years ago 7
you're a dipshit you dumbass
rrdoran 4 years ago
go to hell you son of a bitch, the carter family was awesome and will always be ten times better than youll ever be because your so much of a pussy you have to insult legends just to make your shitty little life look half decent you fuckin dipshit
rrdoran 4 years ago
This has been flagged as spam show
dude i swear to god if i ever see you, i will beat the living shit out of you, if you think you're so damn good at playing the guitar, post it on youtube you little shit
rrdoran 4 years ago
A rare and enjoyable clip, with Helen taking the lead and showing her fine guitar skills.
cashfan46 4 years ago 4