Forebears: Maybelle Carter, The Mother Of Popular Country Music
Known as "Mother Maybelle," Carter had a unique style of playing that helped determine the role of guitar in modern country music. Johnny Cash called her "the greatest star I've ever known."
This essay is one in a series celebrating women whose major contributions in recording occurred before the time frame of NPR Music's list of 150 Greatest Albums Made By Women.
With sharp features and piercing blue eyes, Maybelle Carter (born Addington) was a guitar prodigy and a curious, confident musician. She is known as "Mother" Maybelle Carter — a title that fittingly represents her relationship to country music. Like a mother shapes her child, Carter determined the role the guitar played in modern country. By playing in family bands and keeping her offspring close, she found a way to manage parenting
