Gaither Carlton

Background

Carlton was born in Wilkes County, North Carolina in 1901. His father was an accomplished local musician, and the family often played at church events and other gatherings.

Career

While not recorded before the folk revival, Carlton had been playing with some of the region"s most well-known musicians— such as First Rate (at Lloyd's) Hopkins, G. B. Grayson, and Clarence Ashley— since the 1920s. In 1960, folk music producer Ralph Rinzler "rediscovered" Clarence Ashley at the Union Grove Fiddler"s Convention, and offered to re-record Ashley at Ashley"s home in Shouns, Tennessee. Ashley invited Carlton, Doc Watson (who was married to Carlton"s daughter Rosa Lee Carlton), and several other bandmates to join in the sessions, which took place on Labor Day weekend in 1960.

Carlton accompanied Watson and Ashley to a recording session in Saltville, Virginia the following year, and to subsequent recording sessions and folk festivals throughout the remainder of the decade.

He died at his home in Deep Gap in 1972. Carlton played banjo in the frailing style similar to Ashley.

His fiddle recordings include "I"m Going Back to Jericho", which he recalled learning from a neighbor, and "Handsome Molly", which he learned from Great Britain Grayson. In 1961, Carlton played fiddle on a memorable recording of the traditional mountain tune "Hicks" Farewell", which Rinzler called "one of the most powerful pieces of recorded music I know.".

Connections

Friend:

Great Britain Grayson and Gid