- Fred Carter, Jr.
Fred Carter, Jr. is a
guitarist , singer, producer andcomposer . Beginning his professional career in the 1950s, therecord charts are replete with his fingerprints across a number of genres. Though based inNashville and serving as one its premier session guitarists, his influence can be heard on recordings as diverse asMuddy Waters ,The Band ,Waylon Jennings ,Dottie Rambo , andSimon and Garfunkel . His songs have been recorded by acts as diverse asDean Martin andChet Atkins .Carter was reared in the delta country in Winnsboro, the seat of
Franklin Parish in northeastern Louisiana. His first partner in music was another Franklin Parish native,Allen "Puddler" Harris . Carter grew up with the heavy musical influences of jazz, country & western, hymns, andblues . These elements fused to formrock and roll in the 1950s, and Carter was a significant part of this development. He spent two years withRoy Orbison during his heyday in the late 1950s. He then worked with Ronnie Hawkins and the Hawks, and was principal guitarist forDale Hawkins of "Suzie Q" fame. Carter and Harris also toured extensively withConway Twitty when Twitty was playing rock and roll instead of country.Fred settled into the Nashville session scene in the early 1960s, having become one of its most prominent players for the next two decades. His influence was not confined to Nashville however and he was a fixture in the folk music genre of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Fred can be heard on a multitude of
Simon and Garfunkel classics - most notably "The Boxer " in which he played four guitars, including the memorable finger-picking intro and conclusion. He can also be heard playing bass onBob Dylan 's "Lay Lady Lay " as well as principal guitar withJoan Baez ,Neil Young , The Band and others. Fred was instrumental in bringing these acts to Nashville to record, helping Nashville's music landscape expand beyond its traditional boundaries. This influence can be heard on songs such as "The Boxer" which includes harmonica legendCharlie McCoy who Fred brought in to be part of the record. Other signature pieces for Fred includeI've Alway's Been Crazy and Whistlers and Jugglars byWaylon Jennings .Production credits for Fred include
Levon Helm 'sAmerican Son album on Columbia Records, andBobby Bridger 'sHeal in the Wisdom . He also helpedDolly Parton andTanya Tucker land their first record deals.Fred was a principal member is the
Levon Helm and the RCO All-Stars Band. This band was composed ofLevon Helm ,Booker T. and the MG's ,Steve Cropper ,Donald "Duck" Dunn ,Dr. John ,Paul Butterfield , and theNBC Saturday Night Live horn's.Interestingly, Fred did not make the guitar his principal instrument until he was in his early twenties, having been a lifelong fiddle and mandolin player. Also of note, it has been widely reported that Fred was
Robbie Robertson 's guitar teacher in the early days of touring with Ronnie Hawkins. Fred was also scheduled to appear inMartin Scorcese 'sThe Last Waltz but had to decline due to scheduling conflicts. Fred has had small roles in several movies includingThe Adventures of Huck Finn starringElijah Wood .Fred has received mention in many personal biographies, including
Levon Helm 'sThis Wheel's on Fire andWillie Nelson 's . Nelson states in his book that Fred had the best touch or feel of any musician in Nashville.Fred's daughter is
country music singerDeana Carter , a CMA award winning artist.
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