Born in 1891 in the Poor Valley of southwestern Virginia, Alvin Pleasant Carter grew up with a tremor in his right hand that his mother blamed on a lightning strike during her pregnancy. That limitation pushed him toward collaboration rather than solo virtuosity, and in 1927 he formed the Carter Family with his wife Sarah on lead vocals and autoharp and her cousin Maybelle on guitar, with his brother Ezra managing the band. Working as a traveling salesman selling fruit trees and sewing machines, A.P. roamed a region less than 25 miles from four state lines, often alongside Black musician Leslie Riddle, collecting ballads from porches and churches and reshaping them into tight three-minute songs.

This episode traces the 1927 Bristol sessions, sparked by Victor Records' need to sell more Victrolas, that launched the family to national fame, a ...