Song:Ring Of Fire
Album:Ring Of Fire
Most music fans recognize Ring Of Fire as one of Johnny Cash's signature songs. But you probably don't know that Ring Of Fire was first recorded by Cash's sister-in-law Anita Carter. Anita had the talent to be a huge country music star but she preferred playing in the family band. She was born Mar. 31, 1933 in Maces Springs, VA. She is the youngest daughter of Ezra and Maybelle Carter. Maybelle was in country music pioneers The Carter Family with Ezra's brother A.P. Carter and his wife Sara. When A.P. Carter retired in 1943, Maybelle started Mother Maybelle and the Carter Sisters with daughters Anita, Helen and June. Anita played bass. They moved to Nashville in 1950. Anita charted with the 1951 single Bluebird Island, a duet with Hank Snow. She also performed with the teen trio 'Nita, Rita & Ruby. But mostly she recorded and toured with her family. The group name changed to The Carter Family after A.P. Carter's 1960 death. Then they began touring regularly with Johnny Cash. Cash was already a big star. But he was having personal problems and drug addiction. Then he started a relationship with June Carter. Meanwhile Anita recorded a 1962 album with Hank Snow. And then she recorded two albums for Mercury Records. June wrote Love's Ring Of Fire with Merle Kilgore about her relationship with Cash. Anita recorded Love's Ring Of Fire on the 1962 album Folk Songs Old And New. When Cash heard the record, he dreamed that he recorded the song with mariachi horns. He told Anita that if her version wasn't a hit, he would record it. And so he did. And the rest is history. Anita recorded two albums for Mercury. This Bear Family comp combines those two albums. After those albums, Anita returned to The Carter Family. Though she scored a top ten hit with I Got You in 1968, a duet with Waylon Jennings, she didn't really pursue a solo career. She recorded an album for Capitol in 1972 and then a 1995 album for the family label. Anita Carter died on Jan. 29, 1999 at age 66. Here's a video of Ring Of Fire by Anita Carter.
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