Phipps Family
The Phipps Family was an American country music group that consisted mainly of Arthur Leroy Phipps and Kathleen Norris Helton, with the addition of various children. They became known as interpreters of the Carter Family style, and they did it so well that they were labeled "Carter clones".
Career
The family's musical career began shortly after the marriage of Arthur and Kathleen, when they jointly decided to perform as a group. Together with Arthur's niece, Hester Anderson, they formed a trio. By 1943, they performed regularly, and soon Hester was replaced by various Phipps children in different constellations.In 1950, they were offered a spot at radio station WCTT in Corbin, Kentucky, followed by other jobs at WYWY in Barbourville, Kentucky, and on the Mid-Day Merry-Go-Round at WNOX in Knoxville, Tennessee. They also made some appearances on the WWVA Jamboree. In the beginning, they had their own original style singing secular songs, but since they received so many requests for Carter Family songs, they adopted the Carter Family style. Their first recordings were made for Acme Records.
In 1960, they recorded for Starday Records. During the 1960s, the family was part of the folk revival, and they performed at the Newport Folk Festival in 1964. Shortly after recording an album for Folkways Records, Arthur formed his own label, "Pine Mountain Records", later renamed "Mountain Eagle Records". Between 1962 and 1972, the Phipps Family performed on radio stations such as WCKY in Cincinnati, Ohio, and XEG in Monterrey, Mexico. Their extensive tours over the years took them to thirty-two US states.