The Phipps family was a country music group who consisted mainly of Arthur Leroy Phipps (August 12, 1916 Knox County, Kentucky - August 30, 1995) and Kathleen Norris Helton (April 22, 1924 - November 4, 1992) with the addition of various children. They became known as interpreters of the Carter family

Carter Family

The Carter Family was a traditional American folk music group that recorded between 1927 and 1956. Their music had a profound impact on bluegrass, country, Southern Gospel, pop and rock musicians as well as on the U.S. folk revival of the 1960s. They were the first vocal group to become country...

 style and they did it so well that they were labeled "Carter clones".

Biography

The family's career began shortly after the marriage between Arthur and Kathleen and 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

Corbin, Kentucky

- Economy :Originally formed by L&N Railroad, rail transport was the backbone of the local economy in the first half of the twentieth century. While the railroad continues to play an important role, the decline of the rail industry in the latter half of the twentieth century, as well as the loss...

 followed by other jobs at WYWY in Barbourville, Kentucky

Barbourville, Kentucky

Each year in early October, Barbourville hosts the Daniel Boone Festival commemorating the American pioneer Daniel Boone who explored the area in 1775. The festival features open air concerts, carnival attractions, a beauty pageant, a parade, and other events....

 and on the Mid-Day Merry-Go-Round at WNOX in Knoxville, Tennessee

Knoxville, Tennessee

Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...

. They also made some appearances on the WWVA Jamboree

WWVA Jamboree

WWVA Jamboree, renamed Jamboree U.S.A. in the 1960s, and the Wheeling Jamboree in 2009, is a pioneering American radio show that featured country music from 1933–2008, and again since January 2009...

. 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 1960's, the family were part of the folk revival and they performed at the Newport Folk Festival

Newport Folk Festival

The Newport Folk Festival is an American annual folk-oriented music festival in Newport, Rhode Island, which began in 1959 as a counterpart to the previously established Newport Jazz Festival...

 in 1964. Shortly after recording an album for Folkways Records

Folkways Records

Folkways Records was a record label founded by Moses Asch that documented folk, world, and children's music. It was acquired by the Smithsonian Institution in 1987, and is now part of Smithsonian Folkways.-History:...

, 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

Cincinnati, Ohio

Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...

 and XEG in Monterrey, Mexico. Their extensive tours over the years took them to thirty-two US states.

Aftermath

The Phipps family disbanded in 1991 when Kathleen was diagnosed with cancer. Her health deteriorated and she went into a coma in April 1992. She died on November 4, 1992. Arthur Phipps died on August 30, 1995 when he was brutally stabbed to death in his own home by an assailant during a robbery. He was found outside his house by a son-in-law. Phipps assassin John Mills was apprehended and later convicted of murder, first-degree burglary and first-degree robbery. He was sentenced to death.