My Appalachian Home-The Story of the Carter Family as told by Rita Jett Forrester.

🎶 Rita Jett Forrester is a passionate steward of Appalachian music and heritage, deeply rooted in the legacy of the legendary Carter Family. As the granddaughter of A.P. and Sara Carter, she carries forward the musical and cultural traditions that helped shape country music as we know it.

Here’s a snapshot of her contributions:

• 🪕 Executive Director of the Carter Family Fold: Located in Hiltons, Virginia, the Fold is a nonprofit venue dedicated to preserving old-time country and bluegrass music. Rita took over leadership after her mother, Janette Carter, passed away in 2006.
• 🎤 Performer and Host: Every Saturday night, Rita welcomes guests with stories of her family’s musical journey and often joins the band to sing from the Carter Family songbook.
• 🍲 Culinary Tradition Keeper: She also honors her family’s food heritage by preparing dishes like cornbread, soup beans, and homemade cakes—many from Carter Family recipes.
• 🏆 Honored as an “Outstanding Virginian”: In 2022, the Virginia General Assembly recognized her for her dedication to music preservation and cultural heritage.
• 💔 Personal Resilience: In 2009, Rita tragically lost her husband, Bob Forrester, in a house fire. Despite the loss, she continued her work at the Fold, supported by the music community.

Rita’s work is more than a tribute—it’s a living, breathing celebration of Appalachian roots. She’s not just preserving history; she’s making sure it sings every weekend. Want to hear more about the Carter Family’s influence on American music?

The Carter Family Fold is a musical performance and concert venue located near Hiltons, Virginia. It is dedicated to the preservation and performance of old time country and bluegrass music. It is named in honor of the original Carter Family, A.P., Sara, and Maybelle, who were among the earliest recording artists in country music, with their first records on RCA Victor being released in 1927. The Fold was founded by Janette Carter, daughter of A.P. and Sara Carter, in 1979.[1]

Janette Carter directed the center and served as master of ceremonies and performer at the Saturday night shows, often accompanied by her brother Joe, until her death in 2006. Her daughter, Rita Forrester, now fulfills that role.

The Fold presents weekly concerts. To stay true to musical preservation, no electric instruments are allowed (although this rule was often set aside for performances by singer Johnny Cash, a Carter family in-law). Smoking and drinking are prohibited in the venue.

Most of the participating performers at the Fold are not famous outside the communities of bluegrass and old-time country music. However, Johnny Cash performed at the Fold many times, and played his last concert there on July 5, 2003, a few months before his death. Cash's wife, June Carter Cash, was a daughter of Maybelle Carter. The Carter Sisters, Helen, June and Anita, performed at the Carter Fold many times also.

The Fold has a dance floor where Appalachian buckdancing and clogging, local forms of folk dancing, are seen weekly.

The concert venue, the "Fold," is the centerpiece of the Carter Family Memorial Music Center, Inc., a non-profit organization. This includes the 1880s cabin where A. P. Carter was born. The cabin was moved from its original location to a site next to the Fold, refurbished and rededicated before Janette Carter's death in 2006. Singer Marty Stuart, formerly a member of the Johnny Cash band, was instrumental in raising funds for the cabin's relocation and restoration.

The Carter Store, built by A. P. Carter and friends in the late 1940s and where he conducted daily business, is the site of the Carter Family Museum. This b