‘Rock & Roll President’ Jimmy Carter’s 100th birthday celebration at Fox Theatre upholds his musical legacy

I remember meeting a 100-year-old woman in the aisle of a grocery store here in Atlanta back in 2016. She was interested in what I was buying as she “liked to try new things,” but I was more interested in her, as she casually mentioned she had just celebrated her 100th birthday. I asked what her secret to longevity was, and she replied with a smile, “Grow up in the country and have parents who love one another.” 

Now, as I reminisce about our conversation, I can only think that her theory proves true as Plains, Ga., native and almost-centenarian President Jimmy Carter celebrates his 100th birthday.

If there are two things both political parties can agree on, it’s that 1) turning 100 years old is no small feat, and 2) Jimmy Carter has left a legacy like no other. As Jimmy Carter’s October 1st birthday approaches, mesmerizing stories have begun to emerge of how he spent his time outside of the White House.

Jimmy Carter liked being outdoors and paddling rivers. He also enjoyed listening to good music and sharing a dance with his love, Rosalynn Carter. And although it is fascinating to think about Jimmy Carter gliding through class V rapids on the Chattooga River and his environmental commitment to GA waterways, perhaps the most interesting part of this ‘Jim’ of all trade’s legacy is that he organically became friends with so many rock, folk, jazz and gospel musicians.

In the 2020 documentary, “Jimmy Carter: Rock & Roll President,” lead producer, Chris Farrell unravels decades of memories of Jimmy Carter and his longtime friendships with the Allman Brothers, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan and many other legendary singers and songwriters. Sharing the stage with iconic performers at Fox Theatre several times during his campaign run in the 70s, Jimmy Carter was known for always including the powerful and tethering force of music throughout his presidency.

Old friends of Carter’s, some of them famous legends, and others longtime friends from his hometown church, share their admiration of his love of music in the documentary. One recalls that he attended the Black church regularly and truly proved his knack for singing gospel by not even having to pick up the hymn book because he already knew all of the songs.

Bob Dylan shares that it was when he was invited to the governor’s mansion that he gained his utmost respect for Carter, who was a poet himself, as he recognized his sincere appreciation for the songs Dylan had written. As he looks back on his long friendship with Carter, he coins him a “simple kind of man…just like the Lynyrd Skynyrd song.” The Allman Brothers added in a story of them finishing a bottle of J&B scotch with a barefoot, no-shirt Carter on his front porch. Bono jokes that if Carter’s hair had been just a bit longer, he would have been in the Allman Brothers himself.

In another interview featured in the film, Chip Carter, Jimmy’s son, shares that growing up in Plains, Ga., would have felt very secluded had it not been for their home radio, which he recalls as his “only other contact to the outside world.”

“When we had no money at all, Dad spent $600 on the best stereo in Plains, Ga.,” he added.

Carter’s knowledgeable and genuine grasp on music helped him connect with the younger demographic of voters at that time. The late, great, Jimmy Buffett even joined his campaign trail in Oregon. He notes in his interview that Carter was trying to raise a generation with someone who was ‘hip enough to get it’.

During the hostage crisis in Iran, Carter recalls retreating to his private study at the White House to listen to Willie Nelson’s gospel album. “I would listen to that album and would think about my options and pray”, he shares.

As Fox Theatre now prepares to host a star-studded evening in honor of Jimmy Carter’s 100th year around the sun, it is truly a full circle moment that so many of his friends and family can agree is the perfect celebration. Presented by Delta, ‘Jimmy Carter 100: A Celebration in Song’ at Fox Theatre will take place on Sept. 17 at 7:30 p.m. and will feature performers including Chuck Leavell, D-Nice, Drive-By Truckers, Eric Church, GROUPLOVE, Maren Morris,  The War And Treaty, and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chamber Chorus — with more artists being added weekly. 

Appearances from famous friends are expected, and dignitaries who love Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter and the organization they founded more than 40 years ago: The Carter Center. As President Carter once said, “Music is the best proof that people have one thing in common no matter where they live, no matter what language they speak.”

Tickets are $100 — in honor of Jimmy Carter’s 100th birthday — and are available here. Proceeds from the event will support The Carter Center, continuing Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter’s work to promote peace and improve health around the world.