2026 SPECIAL SESSION I

ENROLLED

SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 2064

Commending Rita Forrester.

Agreed to by the Senate, June 22, 2026

WHEREAS, after two decades of distinguished leadership, Rita Forrester retired as executive director of the Carter Family Fold, a music venue that honors the legacy of the Carter Family and promotes traditional American country music; and

WHEREAS, beginning in 1927, the Carter Family, made up of A.P., Sara, and Maybelle Carter, changed American music history and laid the roots for modern country music; from their first recordings during what Johnny Cash referred to as the “Big Bang of Country Music,” they introduced hundreds of well-known songs, including “Wildwood Flower,” “Keep on the Sunny Side,” “Will the Circle be Unbroken,” and “The Wabash Cannonball”; and

WHEREAS, Janette Carter, daughter of A.P. and Sara Carter, fulfilled a deathbed promise to her father to “carry the music forward,” and drew on her legacy, her faith, and the strength and inspiration of family and friends to establish the Carter Family Fold, a weekly, live music program at the homeplace of the Carter Family in Scott County; and

WHEREAS, Janette Carter's daughter, Rita Forrester, assisted her mother in producing and running the weekly show; over the years, she also served as an ambassador for the show, traveling to regional, national, and international events to receive accolades and awards; and

WHEREAS, Rita Forrester worked diligently to host high-quality performances and ensure an authentic experience for the generations of attendees who came from every state in the United States and many countries around the world to experience authentic traditional country music at the Carter Family Fold; and

WHEREAS, after her mother's passing in 2006, Rita Forrester assumed duties as the executive director; she ably performed a wide variety of tasks, including scheduling, hosting, and introducing performances, personally making homemade chili for the audience, and traveling to represent the Carter Family Fold; and

WHEREAS, Rita Forrester's humble, gentle manner belies her powerful influence in the world of folk and country music and her incomparable contributions to the preservation of traditional music; and

WHEREAS, Rita Forrester's devotion to nurturing traditional music has helped ensure that the Carter Family Fold continues to thrive as a vital thread in the cultural fabric of Southwest Virginia and the United States; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate of Virginia, That Rita Forrester hereby be commended on the occasion of her retirement as executive director of the Carter Family Fold; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Rita Forrester as an expression of the Senate of Virginia's admiration for her achievements in preserving the legacy of the Carter Family and promoting traditional country music.