For those who closely follow either politics or human rights, Jimmy Carter is rightly lauded as a national hero, especially in light of his recent passing, but the late president was arguably just as beloved by an entire generation of musicians. More than a memorial or nostalgia trip, Jimmy Carter: The Rock and Roll President provides a fascinating look into the mirror that the genre reflected back to him. Using rock and roll as a bonding exercise and political weapon, Carter became an unlikely Southern icon, inspiring musicians just as he was drawn to them himself. Even today, the artists who knew this quiet little peanut farmer talk about him like one might with an old friend, rather than a head of state, because that was simply how he had always wanted to be remembered.

Jimmy Carter Reflected a Unique Era of Rock and Roll

Jimmy Carter playing a harmonica on stage next to Willie Nelson, who is playing a guitar.
Image via HBO Max

Although he was born a hundred years ago during the Silent Generation, the musical tastes that Jimmy Carter first developed were more akin to those of the generation that followed him. As a rural southerner of humble origins and deep faith in a time when the South remained so heavily segregated, Carter took inspiration from the most famous musicians of the 1960s, especially folk and gospel music. Just as much as his religious faith, listening to country and black musicians allowed him to bond with people in his hometown of Plains in Georgia, where the community was already small. Long before he became president or even governor, Carter was already friendly with many stars from that era, including Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson, among others. What remains overlooked, though, is how inspiring he was to them as a new symbol of southern culture, one totally foreign to Washington. Many of the anecdotes by the likes of Johnny Cash’s daughter Roseanne, where she describes the joy of seeing another southerner actually claim the White House, are perhaps the most emotional parts of the documentary.

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Always known for his big heart, Carter never forgot his humble origins and the people who inspired him, even when at the height of power. Entertainment in the White House is clearly nothing new, but it's quite a sight to witness the 39th president actually singing along with jazz musicians in concert. Carter also took political risks to support the rock and roll community, even bailing them out of jail to prevent them from having to become informants against each other amidst the drug use that was so common for those in the scene. More than politics, community itself remained the most important thing to him, and it explains both his strengths as a candidate and his struggles as a national leader.

Through Music, Jimmy Carter Found A Unique Political Weapon

Jimmy Carter sat smiling on a couch next to musician Willie Nelson.
Image via HBO Max

For his entire life, Jimmy Carter was often perceived as being an underdog, which extended to his political career as much as his longevity. When he first ran in the 1976 Democratic primaries, no one viewed Carter as a contender for the party nomination. Even when he gained momentum, Governor Jerry Brown of California remained a major threat to him. By using music concerts as gatherings for his supporters and earning endorsements from rock and roll heavyweights, Carter found a way to genuinely bond with people, and it was arguably crucial to his final victory in the Democratic primaries.

This pulling of pop culture strings did not end once he became president, either. One overlooked scene from the documentary features John Wayne, a loyal Republican, congratulating Carter on his victory, but the importance was more than symbolic. In the narration, it's noted Carter used Wayne to gather Republican support to ratify a treaty relinquishing control over the Panama Canal, which still ranks as one of his few major foreign policy achievements while in office. Carter also used music as a diplomatic tool when meeting with foreign leaders, but it also made him anathema to the political class, and meant that he struggled to gain support in his failed bid for reelection.

Just as Jimmy Carter Inspired Rock and Roll, He Inspired His Community

Today, 45 years after leaving the White House, Jimmy Carter is perhaps more beloved than ever, and recent tributes to him are proof of that. Remembered more for the actions he took after his presidency than during it, he is also the poster child for an entire generation of musical artists, even if they might have been twenty or thirty years younger than him. In his later years, Carter may have gained the respect of the world, but it was the rock and roll community who had his back first, and he himself was just as faithful. Just as he became a symbol of pride for an entire genre of music, he was similarly embraced by his own hometown, and those bonds remained for the rest of his long life. With his recent passing, his incredible story should serve as a reminder of how much more important a community is towards legacy, rather than political power or influence. Jimmy Carter might not have been a great president, but he was most likely the greatest person to ever become president, one who will forever remain unique in American political and musical history.

Jimmy Carter: The Rock and Roll President is available for streaming on Max in the US.

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Jimmy Carter: Rock & Roll President
Documentary
Release Date
September 9, 2020
Runtime
96 minutes
Director
Bill Flanagan
  • Cast Placeholder Image
    Bob Dylan
    Self
  • Cast Placeholder Image
    Jimmy Carter
    Self (archive footage)
  • Cast Placeholder Image
    Willie Nelson
  • Cast Placeholder Image
    Madeleine Albright

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