Sure there will be plenty of tributes to former President Jimmy Carter at the celebratory: A Celebration in Song” event tonight at the Fox Theatre. But only one of the scheduled performers share his last name — and she believes she’s related. Carlene Carter, daughter of country music legend June Carter Cash, will be one of the many artists on hand to offer Carter heartfelt birthday wishes.
Carter made the scene with a series of well-received albums on Warner Bros. in the late 1970s and early ‘80s. Often featuring a cast of British rock royalty, led her former husband Nick Lowe, the albums blended the raw nerve of new wave melded with country, soul and pop flourishes.
Carter’s early catalog was hard-to-classify and impossible to forget, as her wistful vocals anchored what would later be heralded as Americana. But then, as now, it was just good music, offered with a heartfelt delivery. Recently, the gregarious singer-songwriter spoke with the Atlanta Journal Constitution from her home in Tennessee.
AJC: So, how did Carlene Carter’s name end up in the lineup for this event?
Carlene Carter: Jimmy Carter is my favorite president. And I’ve always loved the idea that he was my cousin. I think he really is. It’s probably very far apart, but you can see it on our faces. You can look at Jimmy Carter and look at my mother and look at me and go, “Look at those smiles.”
I think this is the perfect opportunity to lift up the values that Jimmy stood for, and I can’t wait to see some of these folks who’ll be performing on this show. I’ve got no idea what Killer Mike’s going to do, but I’m really interested to see what that is, and I’m just really interested to meet some of these people. I met Sean Penn many years ago when he was in “Fast Times at Ridgemont High.” So it’ll be interesting to see him now.
Credit: Photo courtesy of MFH PR
Credit: Photo courtesy of MFH PR
Q: Besides preparing for this event, what else are you currently working on?
A: I do have some projects going. Mostly it’s just about surviving. That’s number one, to stay alive so that I can complete all these projects. Mostly that keeps me going. And I’m working on a book. I took off a year to be working on it and it’s turned into more. I think I should have wrote this book when I was 50 instead of 69. I would’ve had a whole 19 years that I could have just left out, and then do a volume two when I’m 75 or something.
But I’m working on it every day as much as I can. Sometimes I need a little break because it’s a lot to think about. I mean, I am a writer. But I realized I’m a songwriter. At one point, I had to look back and go, “Wait a minute, all my chapters sound like three minutes, which is a song.” All my stories are in songs, so it makes sense, but I fixed that and we’re rocking along with it.
Q: There are some other honorary shows on your calendar, right?
A: We’re working on getting the 100th anniversary of the Carter Family going and making a big deal out of it, which we’re working on so it all coincides with my book. It’s all about family and really important to the legacy.
So, I feel like the Jimmy Carter’s legacy is entwined with the Carter [Family] legacy, too. He was born before the Carter Family music was out in the world, and so he was a little dude when it was new. He was a little dude listening to that stuff. I also loved his rock ‘n’ roll aspect and how he was moved by music. I think that the universal spirit is music, so it’s somehow all connected. You could just see him light up when he’d hear or see his favorite bands play. They all respected him and loved him so much.
Q: Any new music on the horizon?
A: Well, working on a book is kinda like I’ve pretty much already written the songs that are about that part of my life. I’m not really being super productive in that way. But I’m always working on my “act” as my dad [country singer Carl Smith] would call it — my shows are the things that I want to do right now. I’m just excited about playing live.
I’m going to play Hardly Strictly Bluegrass in October [a three-day music festival in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park] with Buddy Miller on his Cavalcade of Country Stars. I’m really excited to sing with Emmylou [Harris] a bit, too.
Oh and one more thing: I’ll be going to D.C. for the unveiling of the Johnny Cash bronze statue that’s going to Emancipation Hall, which is right after I come down to Atlanta.it’s a big presentation and the Cash clan will be there en masse, like 160 of ‘em. I didn’t even know there was that many of ‘em still livin’, but I guess there are. I mean, really there’s not a lot of Carter people left as far as the Carter name, but I’m going there to represent us for John. I adored him, he was my daddy for most of my life to the day he died. He still is, but I have my own daddy, too. I just lucked out. I happened to get a two really cool dads.
Q: Can you tell us what songs you’ll be performing at the “Jimmy Carter 100″ event?
A: Let’s let it be a surprise, but it’s in the middle, and I am going to do something with Duane Betts. I just hope people enjoy the night because I think Jimmy will be able to enjoy the night in some way. He’ll be able to feel it and know how much we all love him.
Q: It sounds like it will be a family gathering in many ways.
It really will be a big family reunion. And I do believe we are related to Jimmy. You know, “Carter” is a frame of mind, too. I think that’s one of the things I always admired so much about him, his openness to humanity and helping people and just wanting the best for the world. Not just for our little part of it, he wanted the best for all humans and for the planet. The way he’s carried himself through his life is such an inspiration. To live this whole hundred years and still be aware of what’s going on is incredible.
CONCERT PREVIEW
“Jimmy Carter 100: A Celebration in Song”
7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 17, at the Fox Theatre. Tickets $100 (excluding taxes and fees). Benefiting the Carter Center. 660 Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta. foxtheatre.org.
