June Carter was born in 1929, the second of "Mother" Maybelle Carter's three daughters, into a family of such musical distinction it was impossible that she be anything but an entertainer. From her mother she learned to play autoharp, and by 1939 she and her sisters were performing as members of The Carter Family. While June had to work harder than her sisters at singing, she excelled naturally at comedy, and became the group's comedienne extraordinaire as they toured the country and in 1950, became regulars on the Grand Ole Opry. June worked with everyone in the business, from Faron Young to Elvis Presley. In the early sixties June (and family) joined up with Johnny Cash's show and June began recording duets with Cash, including smash hits "It Ain't Me Babe" and "Jackson." Although married to other people (June was married to singer Carl Smith, and had two daughters with him), Cash and Carter had a special bond that couldn't be denied, and eventually, in March of 1968, they were married. Their son, John Carter, was born in 1970. They remained together until June's death on May 15, 2003. June Carter has never really received the acknowledgments she deserved as a performer, largely because she was always content to stand in the shadow of her formidable husband. However, in her later years (1999) she released a solo disc, Press On, which won a Grammy for Best Traditional Folk Album, and her posthumous release, Wildwood Flower, won two Grammys.