The Winding Stream
(2014 American documentary film –
aka The Carters, The Cashes and The Course of
Country Music,
directed by Beth Harrington)
Bloor Hot Docs cinema, Toronto
February 28, 2016
by Live Music Head
At the Bloor Hot Docs cinema
for this morning’s Doc Soup Sunday screening of
The Winding Stream,
The Winding Stream,
it was the face of John Prine that was first to be seen
on the big screen.
And oh, how-so pleasing!
On the way to the cinema,
Johnny Cash of course played heavily on my mind.
Two days ago he would have celebrated,
if he was not dead,
his 84th birthday.
Big River!
"Now I taught that weeping willow how to cry, cry cry.
And I showed the clouds how to cover up a clear, blue sky.
And the tears that I cried for that woman
are gonna flood you Big River,
then I'm gonna sit right here until I die."
But what was so great about this doc was that
if he was not dead,
his 84th birthday.
Big River!
"Now I taught that weeping willow how to cry, cry cry.
And I showed the clouds how to cover up a clear, blue sky.
And the tears that I cried for that woman
are gonna flood you Big River,
then I'm gonna sit right here until I die."
But what was so great about this doc was that
it began way before Johnny met June Carter.
Back when people didn’t even know to call their music “country”.
This doc went way back to the nineteen twenties,
to the days of A.P. Carter
who founded The Carter Family,
one of the most notable acts in country music.
A doc about real, authentic country music
that documented the Carters and the Cash’s story
straight up to the present day.
From poor people living hard in
the Appalachian foothills of Maces Springs,
Virginia
to their success as Victor recording artists,
to their old timey border radio show on XERA.
Keep On The Sunny Side of The Street!
One moment in the film that stood out for me
as one of the most heartbreaking,
but at the same time most romantic,
was when wife Sara decided to leave A.P. for his cousin Coy Bayes.
Upon hearing Sara dedicate a song to him on the radio,
cousin Coy drove from California to Texas to fetch her,
and they were married a week later.
And apparently A.P. never got over it.
Will The Circle Be Unbroken?
Johnny was seen throughout the film before,
and at the height of his career,
and live on stage with the Carters.
He was also interviewed in this film as an old man,
when the true blue heart and soul of the man in black
was never more obvious.
Cash not only talked about how he fell in love
instantly upon meeting June backstage at the Grand Ol’ Opry,
but about the respect, admiration and high regard he,
along with so many other musicians,
placed upon mother Maybelle.
Maybelle married A.P.’s brother Ezra Carter,
and became parents of June.
I particularly liked the clip of Carlene Carter
(daughter of June and her first husband Carl)
sitting on a bale of hay singing,
alongside none other than the great, great, great
Hank Williams!
I Can’t Help It If I’m Still In Love With You!
Today, Maces Springs is called Hiltons,
and Route 614 is called the A.P. Carter Highway.
And Carter Fold,
the music hall on the Clinch Mountain side of the road
which was founded by Joe and Jeanette,
two of A.P. and Sara's children,
is still open.
It's where the story lives on,
featuring live, traditional country music every Saturday night.
Real, genuine country music!
Beth Harrington, the film’s director
was in attendance today for the
Q&A,
as was Skippy Drake who performed live in the cinema lobby,
alongside his pal Rene on auto-harp,
to serenade folks arriving, and lining up for concessions.
Wildwood Flower!
The trailer for Winding Stream...
The official website for The Winding Stream...
The official website for The Bloor Hot Docs cinema...
