AP Carter: 1891 – 1960
Alvin Pleasant Delaney Carter was the patriarch of the Carter Family legacy. Born in Maces Spring, Virginia, he went on to marry Sara Dougherty in 1915 when he was 24. By 1927, the couple joined Sara’s cousin Maybelle (married to AP’s brother Ezra) and formed the Carter Family band.
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
AP was an avid song collector and was known for the songs he selected for his family to sing – so much so that he got credit for writing them even though he didn’t. AP spent so much time on the road searching Appalachia for new songs that his absence eventually led to the demise of his marriage. He and Sara split in 1932, but not before having three kids: Gladys, Janette, and Joe.