Carter Stanley
Carter Stanley (August 27, 1925–December 1, 1966) was an American bluegrass lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and songwriter. Born in Big Spraddle Creek, Virginia, he was raised in the rural Appalachian mountains, absorbing traditional singing styles from his family and the Primitive Baptist Church. Following military service in the Army Air Corps, he co-founded the legendary duo The Stanley Brothers and their backing band, the Clinch Mountain Boys, with his younger brother Ralph in November 1946. After a brief 1951 stint in Bill Monroe’s Bluegrass Boys, he re-joined his brother to write more than 100 original tracks that became permanent standards, including "White Dove," "The Fields Have Turned Brown," and the definitive arrangement of "Man of Constant Sorrow." His career culminated in a performance at the 1959 Newport Folk Festival before his untimely death at age 41. He was posthumously inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Honor in 1992 and the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2026.
In the newsletter
- No. 8 Summer 1996