BCMA to unveil exhibit about late June Carter Cash

Bristol, VA-TN (August 29, 2003) - On Tuesday, September 9 at 6:00 PM, the Birthplace of Country Music Alliance will mount a tribute exhibit for June Carter Cash. The unveiling of the exhibit will also coincide with the release of her last CD, Wildwood Flower. The museum exhibit will feature photographs from June Carter Cash’s life, including her early career with Mother Maybelle and the Carter Sisters, as well as her adult years with husband Johnny Cash. The display will include art from her last recording project, Wildwood Flower, and her Grammy Award winning project Press On, as well as early career recordings. “June Carter Cash personifies the spirit of our Appalachian music and she has left us precious memories,” commented David Winship, museum curator. He added that “this exhibit contributes to her legacy and the Birthplace of Country Music is honored to present it.”

June Carter Cash accomplished much in her life. Born into one of the pioneering families of country music, she was a musician, a singer, an actress, author and humanitarian. The roles she cherished most however were those of loving and devoted wife and mother.

Her uncle A.P., Aunt Sara, and mother Maybelle Carter were discovered in August 1927 in at a recording session in Bristol, Tennessee and became one of the first nationally popular country-music recording stars. In 1938, the original trio traveled to Texas to broadcast over the hugely powerful airwaves of the Mexican-border radio stations. The following year, June began performing professionally there alongside the other Carter Family children Janette, Joe, Helen and Anita.

Following a breakup of the original Carter Family in 1943, Maybelle formed a female quartet with her girls and began performing on radio stations throughout the Southeast. In 1950, the group was invited to WSM’s Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. June began touring with Johnny Cash in 1961, and she co-wrote "Ring of Fire" about the intensity of her feelings for the superstar. June married Johnny in 1968, and their son John Carter Cash was born two years later. By then, Johnny’s national TV series was a sensation. June performed on it weekly with her sisters and mother, bringing the Carter Family repertoire to a new generation of listeners.

The unveiling of the exhibit coincides with the release date for the final CD from the late June Carter Cash, Wildwood Flower. The disc is the follow up to Carter Cash’s 1996, Grammy Award-winning Press On and was completed just prior to her passing in May at 73. The CD will be available for sale in the BCMA Museum and Gift Shop. 

Wildwood Flower is a celebration of Carter Cash’s Appalachian roots and the musical legacy of her renowned family. Featuring more than a dozen songs, many of which are Carter Family classics penned by June’s uncle A.P. Carter, highlights include "Keep On the Sunny Side," "Temptation," "Church in the Wildwood/Lonesome Valley" and "Anchored in Love." Wildwood Flower also includes numerous special guests, vintage pieces from early radio broadcasts, and an extensive enhanced portion featuring exclusive footage from the recording session. Wildwood Flower was produced by June’s son with Johnny Cash, John Carter Cash, and recorded at several locations including the Carter family home in Mace’s Springs, Virginia.

The Birthplace of Country Music Alliance Museum is located in the lower level of the Bristol Mall, Exit 1 Interstate 81. The museum is open Monday through Saturday from 10:00 AM until 9:00 PM and from 1:00 PM until 6:00 PM on Sunday. Admission to the museum is free.

The Birthplace of Country Music Alliance is a non-profit group dedicated to the music and culture of Appalachia and the role played by the region in the development of Country Music.