Billy Carter’s 1977 Chevy Pickup

“I’m a real Southern boy. I got a red neck, white socks, and Blue Ribbon beer”

by Dave Kinney

My mother went into the Peace Corps when she was sixty-eight. My one sister is a motorcycle freak, my other sister is a Holy Roller evangelist, and my brother is running for President. I’m the only sane one in the family” Among Presidential relatives, no one stands out as more colorful or more controversial than Billy Carter, brother of 39th president Jimmy Carter, from Plains, Georgia. Billy Carter was born on March 29, 1937, thirteen years after his future President brother. It was said that Carter’s father, Earl, was as easy on Billy as he was tough on Jimmy, and, as such, Billy was close to Earl and often seen in his company. Billy was 16 years old when “Mr. Earl” died, and he was devastated. The death of Earl brought eldest brother Jimmy back from the Navy to run the family peanut warehouse that everyone, including Billy, assumed would be taken over by Billy. Billy was “mad as hell” at both his brother and the turn of events. Billy married his...