Is anyone from the Carter Family still alive? What we know following Shaboozey’s viral reaction to Megan Moroney’s AMA claim

The American Music Awards in 2025 featured the Carter Family, who have been renowned as the “First Family of Country Music” for over a decade. A brief, spectacular event during the show sparked a renewed interest in the family. This was when Megan Moroney, a renowned singer, claimed live during the show that the family ‘basically invented’ country music.

This claim invited a significant amount of debate, which was triggered by Shaboozey’s eyebrow raise on stage. His facial expressions were captured and mostly used to promote the media on social platforms, encompassing TikTok and Instagram.

Moroney was simply reading a script and mentioned the family group quintessential to the genre’s origin. This was not received well by Shaboozey, who, in disbelief, responded with a motionless stare and no words, “Is this really what you think?!”

It is evident they did not talk about country music for the rest of the show, answering the longstanding discussions on the genre's origin (with special attention to the contributions of Black artists such as Riddle, who influenced the Carters).

This viral interaction has also raised a more personal and curious question among fans: Is anyone from the original Carter Family still alive? With so much history wrapped around the Carter name, many are wondering what became of the family that helped bring country music to the American mainstream in the early 20th century.

The original Carter Family lineup consisted of A.P. Carter, his wife Sara Carter, and Sara’s cousin Maybelle Carter. None of the three is still living—A.P. died in 1960, Sara in 1979, and Maybelle in 1978. However, the musical legacy they created lives on through their descendants, several of whom are prominent figures in country and Americana music today.

The Carter family legacy lives through its descendants

Even if its earliest members have passed away, the musical family remains alive due to their children and grandchildren. John Carter Cash, the grandson of Maybelle's daughter June Carter and Johnny Cash, is a Grammy-winning producer and musician.

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Also, June Carter's daughter, Carlene Carter, is a recording artist. A.P. and Sara's grandson, Dale Jett, regularly performs with The Carter Family III, a band dedicated to preserving their sound.

The Country Music Hall of Fame notes that the Carter Family was the first country vocal group and among the initial artists to record songs commercially. Their sound was firmly rooted in the Appalachian folk music of their region and was also greatly influenced by African American musicians such as Lesley Riddle, who worked closely with A.P. Carter through his song collecting and arranging. Regardless of the AMA uproar, the Carter Family has a legacy that is complex, foundational, and extremely relevant to those who continue to respect the legacy.

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