The McCarters
Jennifer and twins Lisa and Teresa were born in the late '60s, in Dolly Parton's home town of Sevierville, Sevier County, Tennessee, USA. Their father, a factory foreman, played banjo in local bands, and their mother was a gospel singer. When Jennifer was 11 years old and her siblings were nine, they were performing clog dancing routines they had learned from watching the groups on the GRAND OLE OPRY. Three years later, realizing that they would not make a living by that occupation, Jennifer learned to play the guitar and sing, and soon the twins were adding harmony vocals. Around 1984, they made their debut on a Knoxville television station and gained further experience working with OPRY stars Stu Philips and Archie Campbell, as well as busking on the streets of their home town. In 1986, after some persistent and persuasive telephoning by Jennifer, the girls managed to get an audition with Kyle Lehning, Randy Travis' record producer, which led to them signing for Warner Brothers. They made their US country chart debut in January 1988, with Top 10 hits named Timeless And True Love and The Gift, the title track of their first album. Soon after, they became part of the Randy Travis show and toured extensively in the USA and Europe. They have also appeared on many top US network television shows. Their close-harmony singing is similar to the Trio recordings of Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris. Jennifer also showed a talent for songwriting and with Carl Jackson co-wrote their beautifully descriptive ballad Letter From Home. By the time their second album appeared in 1990, they had become known as Jennifer McCarter And The McCarters.