Jackie's Playlist

When I was growing up, I thought we were somehow related to the Carter Family on my mother's side. Her mother had come from a huge family in western North Carolina, with the Great Smoky Mountains in the backyard. As we would ride around back roads in what was then rural northern Virginia, we would listen to an endless stream of real country music on the AM radio of her 1965 Ford. In general, the older the music and the closer to the Carter Family, the more important she considered it.

These memories flooded back to me as our family made arrangements for my mother, who passed away on July 24, 2020. She actually participated in the planning, mostly by choosing the music.

If you want to know something about my late mother, listen to my version of Jackie's Playlist in its entirety. It includes all of the songs she requested to accompany her viewing. On YouTube, I found that many of her favorites were performed by quite a few different musicians, with June Carter's husband Johnny Cash being a common denominator among many of them. On this playlist, I managed to include a version by the artist she specified, if not the exact rendition.

We were fortunate to be able to hold a funeral service for my mom -- many people lost loved ones in 2020 without that important opportunity. As with most funerals, not everyone who wished to remember her could be present. Because we knew this number might be higher than usual, including even some local friends and family, we were very glad that the funeral home arranged to stream the service. It is still available on the tribute page provided by the funeral home. (Mother's Day 2021 note: this is still posted.)