Located about 45 minutes from Bristol, the Carter Family Memorial Music Center, a non-profit organization, serves fans and supporters of old-time country and folk music through the presentation of weekly performances at the Carter Family Fold, in Hiltons, Virginia. It also honors the memory of the first family of country music, the legendary Carter Family (A.P. Carter, Sara Carter, and Maybelle Carter), whose first recordings (in 1927) are credited with giving birth to the commercial country music industry. The Carter Family Memorial Music Center was founded by Janette Carter, daughter of A.P. and Sara, who with Sara’s cousin Maybelle, comprised the original Carter Family.