Though they didn't set out to be historians, the Carter Family helped to preserve the American folk music tradition for generations of country music fans and performers. Recording first in 1927, the trio of A.P. Carter, his wife Sara, and Sara's cousin Maybelle drew from a wealth of folk songs they heard in the mountains of Virginia, from gospel hymns and murder ballads to mournful laments and inspirational tracks. The original lineup continued together until 1944, while new lineups led by Maybelle kept the Carter Family name alive into the 1970s.