Fred Carter, Jr.

Fred Carter Jr.
playing at the Station Inn in 1983
Background information
Birth name	Fred F. Carter Jr.
Born	(1933-12-31)December 31, 1933 Winnsboro, Louisiana, U.S.
Died	July 17, 2010(2010-07-17) (aged 76) Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Musician, producer, singer, composer
Instruments	Guitar

Fred F. Carter Jr. (December 31, 1933 – July 17, 2010) was an American guitarist, singer, producer and composer.

Carter was raised in the delta country in Winnsboro, the seat of Franklin Parish in northeastern Louisiana. Carter grew up with the heavy musical influences of jazz, country & western, hymns, and blues. His first instrument was the mandolin which he began playing at the age of three. He later began playing fiddle. While in the Air Force in his late teens, he was the band leader for the USO variety show entertaining troops across Europe. His bunkmate during the tour was the MC and fellow serviceman Larry Hagman who went on to television fame. After leaving the Air Force, Carter attended Centenary Music College on scholarship as a violist despite the fact he could not read music but instead had to memorize all of his orchestral pieces.

After leaving Centenary, Carter began his professional career in the 1950s, his first partner in music was another Franklin Parish native, Allen "Puddler" Harris. He started taking up guitar seriously in his early 20s and became a principle on the Louisiana Hayride. While on the Hayride, he formed lifelong friendships with many musicians including Slim Whitman, Floyd Cramer, Sonny James, Hank Snow, Faron Young, Johnny Horton, Jim Reeves and many others. Carter met Roy Orbison during this time and became part of his band and moving to Hollywood with Roy. Later, he worked with Orbison in Nashville on the Monument Sessions notably heard on" Dream Baby" as the opening guitar. He subsequently worked with Dale Hawkins of "Suzie Q" song fame, and then joined Dale's cousin Ronnie Hawkins whose group The Hawks later became The Band, (sans Hawkins). During this busy and formative time, Carter also toured and became lifelong friends with Conway Twitty.