b. Winnsboro, Louisiana, December 28, 1933; d. September 12, 2004
Nashville Cat
Fred Carter Jr. began his career in northeastern Louisiana playing rock & roll. He backed Dale Hawkins, known for his rock hit “Susie-Q,” and later played with Ronnie Hawkins, Dale’s cousin, in his backing group, the Hawks. Carter left and was replaced by Robbie Robertson before the group evolved into the Band.
Carter played on the Louisiana Hayride in Shreveport, Louisiana, in the mid-1950s, before moving with fellow guitarist James Burton to Los Angeles, where both appeared on the TV program Town Hall Party.
When Carter landed in Nashville, in 1961, he became the first top Nashville session guitarist to specialize on the Fender Telecaster electric guitar—and proved just as outstanding on acoustic and twelve-string guitar. He also released several singles as a vocalist, and he had success as a songwriter.
After touring as guitarist for Roy Orbison and Conway Twitty, Carter settled into a career as a renowned studio player. His rock and folk work included sessions for Joan Baez, John Stewart, Levon Helm, and Muddy Waters. Carter became a particular favorite of Simon & Garfunkel, who often flew him to New York to play on their sessions there. He also contributed to classic country hits by George Jones, Waylon Jennings, Dolly Parton, and John Anderson. Carter is the father of country singer-songwriter Deana Carter.
Fred Carter Jr. overdubbed multiple guitar parts on Simon & Garfunkel’s “The Boxer.” Instruments he used at the sessions included this 1967 Sakazo Nakade nylon-string guitar and this Dobro resonator guitar. Courtesy of the Family of Fred Carter Jr.
Fred Carter Jr. overdubbed multiple guitar parts on Simon & Garfunkel’s “The Boxer.” Instruments he used at the sessions included this 1967 Sakazo Nakade nylon-string guitar and this Dobro resonator guitar. Courtesy of the Family of Fred Carter Jr.
Listen to Fred Carter Jr.
Selected Songs
Simon & Garfunkel, “The Boxer” (Paul Simon)
Among the musicians featured on this recording are Fred Carter Jr., electric guitar, acoustic guitar, and fretted dobro; Paul Simon, guitar; Charlie McCoy, bass harmonica; Hal Blaine, drums.
From the album Bridge Over Troubled Water, 1970. Produced by Roy Halee, Paul Simon, and Art Garfunkel, Nashville and New York.
John Stewart, “Shackles and Chains” (John Stewart)
Among the musicians featured on this recording are Fred Carter Jr., dobro; Kelso Herston, guitar; Lloyd Green, pedal steel guitar; Norbert Putnam, bass; Kenny Buttrey, drums.
From the album California Bloodlines, 1969. Produced by Nik Venet at RCA Studio A, Nashville.
Ian & Sylvia, “This Wheel’s on Fire” (Bob Dylan, Rick Danko)
The musicians featured on this recording are Fred Carter Jr., electric guitar; David Rea, guitar; Ian Tyson, guitar; Bob Moore, bass; Kenny Buttrey, drums.
From the album Nashville, 1968. Produced by Ian Tyson, Nashville.
Fred Neil, “Other Side of This Life” (Fred Neil)
Among the musicians featured on this recording are Fred Carter Jr., fretted dobro; Fred Neil, twelve-string guitar; Lloyd Green, pedal steel guitar; Norbert Putnam, bass.
Produced in 1969 by Nik Venet at RCA Studio A, Nashville. The recording remained unreleased until 1998.
Ronnie Hawkins, “Baby Jean” (Ronnie Hawkins, Levon Helm)
Among the musicians featured on this recording are Fred Carter Jr., electric guitar; Luke Paulman, rhythm guitar; Jimmy Evans, bass; Levon Helm, drums.
From the album Mr. Dynamo, 1959. Recorded at Bell Sound, New York.
Johnny Darrell, “Why You Been Gone So Long” (Mickey Newbury)
Among the musicians featured on this recording is Fred Carter Jr., electric guitar.
From the album Why You Been Gone So Long, 1969. Produced by Bob Montgomery, Nashville.
Meet the Cats
Best known for his harmonica technique—distinguished by speed, clarity, and exceptional phrasing, Charlie McCoy is a multi-instrumentalist who has been recorded on bass, guitar, keyboards, percussion, saxophone, trumpet, and tuba.
Charlie Daniels proved pivotal to many of the Nashville recording sessions of Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan. Because Daniels had a strong blues influence, Johnston felt he would fit with the adventurous singer-songwriters.
Ben Keith was a prominent Nashville pedal steel guitarist and dobro specialist before becoming a producer and instrumentalist for Neil Young.
One of country music’s most admired and influential steel guitarists, Weldon Myrick taught himself to play lap steel and, at age thirteen, landed a job on a radio station near his hometown of Jayton, Texas.
Mac Gayden grew up fascinated by the R&B acts he heard in his hometown of Nashville. That interest helped him develop a style as a guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter distinctly different from other Nashville studio pros.
Lloyd Green developed an emotional, resonant style of pedal steel guitar playing that gave him a distinct sound apart from other top steel specialists.
At age eighteen, Pete Drake heard steel guitarist Jerry Byrd on the Grand Ole Opry during a trip to Nashville. Duly inspired, Drake purchased a steel guitar in an Atlanta pawnshop. The decision not only changed his life, but impacted the sound of country and rock music.
Pig Robbins earned his stripes by creating the rocking piano on George Jones’s “White Lightnin’.” Over the ensuing decades, his integral role on Music Row recording sessions earned him membership in the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2012.
In his distinctive fiddle style, Buddy Spicher combined a rich tonal quality with bluegrass precision and an adventurous sense of swing. After arriving in Nashville, he quickly gained attention as a dazzling instrumentalist capable of handling country, jazz, pop, and rock.
Inspired by Country Music Hall of Fame members Chet Atkins and Earl Scruggs, Wayne Moss’s iconic guitar riffs helped forge the identifiable sounds of country and rock hits.
Norbert Putnam is a widely admired bassist, record producer, and studio owner. He started his career in his teens recording with soul singer Arthur Alexander at FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, as part of a renowned rhythm section that included keyboardist David Briggs and drummer Jerry Carrigan.
Grady Martin was a member of a loose collection of legendary studio musicians known as the Nashville A-team. His versatility and creativity as a guitarist also appealed to younger rockers and singer-songwriters who came to Nashville.
David Briggs began playing piano on R&B, pop, and country hits in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, in his teens. After a brief stint as a pop singer, Briggs moved to Nashville in 1964 to focus on a career as a studio musician.
Three-time Grammy winner Jerry Reed is most famous for his colorful, catchy story songs steeped in Southern attitude and lore. He was recognized as a groundbreaking guitarist with a guitar technique that gave an extra layer of funky, back-country grease.
The preferred drummer for artists across America—he built a lasting legacy with his work in R&B and rock.
Fred Carter Jr. began his career in northeastern Louisiana playing rock & roll. He backed Dale Hawkins, known for his rock hit “Susie-Q,” and later played with Ronnie Hawkins, Dale’s cousin, in his backing group, the Hawks. Carter left and was replaced by Robbie Robertson before the group evolved into the Band.