Carlene Carter questions the negativity toward Beyonce's “Cowboy Carter.”

In the weeks since Beyoncé announced her album “Cowboy Carter,” there has been an overwhelming amount of commentary about the singer's transition into country music, and the long-overlooked contributions of black artists to the genre since its inception.

There have also been more humorous comments about the album's title — which comes from Beyoncé and her husband Sean “Jay-Z” Carter's married surname — and the long legacy left by the Carter family, whose music is widely viewed as their single greatest influence. On country type. The group recorded between the 1920s and 1950s, and after starting with Sarah Carter, her husband A.B. and sister-in-law/leading guitarist Maybelle, it later expanded to include Maybelle's daughters June (later Johnny Cash's long-time wife), Anita and Helen. .

June's daughter Carlin, a veteran country singer, had some positive words for Beyoncé's namesake and her album, “Country Carter” — and essentially welcomed her into the extended family: “Here's a warm welcome to the Carter Girls Club!” Its statement follows in full.

I've been feeling a little negative about the release of Beyoncé's “Cowboy Carter,” her new country album.

As a Carter girl and coming from a long line of Carter girls, I was moved to wonder why would anyone treat Carter this way?

She's an incredibly talented and creative woman and clearly wanted to do this because she loves country music. In my book, she's one of us, the Carter Women, and we've always pushed the boundaries by experimenting with whatever music we feel in our hearts and taking soul-driven risks. Sometimes the country music “establishment” wasn't that welcoming, and sometimes that was accepted with open arms. As Chuck Berry said, “It just goes to show you can never know.”

I'm here to let Beyoncé and all those naysayers know that I admire her and love her and everything she does. It makes me happy to know that Carter's courage is within her just as it has been in the nearly 100 years that Carter has chosen to follow our hearts, hearts filled with love not just for country music but for all kinds of music.

Here's a warm welcome to the Carter Girls Club! It's only a matter of time before these naysayers become sayers.

With lots of love and support.

Carlene Carter