The Carter Twins
Irish twin duo with three top ten singles.
Anthony and Stephen Carter, twin brothers from Ireland, formed the pop duo The Carter Twins in the late 1990s. They put out a single studio album and scored three top-ten hits on the Irish Singles Chart. In 1996, manager Louis Walsh signed them, and they won the Smash Hits Newcomers Award that same year. Their debut single, "The Twelfth of Never," came out in February 1997, reaching number 7 in Ireland and number 61 in the UK. Later that year, they released a cover of Climie Fisher's "Love Changes" (August 1997) and the Bee Gees' "The First of May" (November 1998), followed by their self-titled debut album *The Carter Twins* in late 1997. In 1998, they entered the national final for Eurovision with the Ronan Keating-penned "Make the Change," placing fourth. Their final single, "Let's Go Dancing (Oh La La La)" with "Make the Change" as the B-side, peaked at number 7 in Ireland in July 1998. In their personal lives, Anthony married Amanda Lynch in Cancun, Mexico, in mid-2008, and Stephen married Avril Kelly in County Kildare in February 2011.
- field
- Music
- nationality
- Irish
- known_for
- Three top ten Irish singles and one studio album
- active_years
- Late 1990s
- members
- Anthony Carter and Stephen Carter
Lore & Background
The Carter Twins were signed by Louis Walsh in 1996 and won the Smash Hits Newcomers Award that same year. Their debut single 'The Twelfth of Never' was released in February 1997, peaking at number 7 on the Irish Singles Chart and number 61 on the UK Singles Chart. They followed with a cover of Climie Fisher's 'Love Changes' in August 1997 and a cover of The Bee Gees' 'The First of May' in November 1998. Their debut studio album, The Carter Twins, was released in late 1997.
In 1998, the duo entered the Ronan Keating-penned 'Make the Change' for Eurosong 1998 in an attempt to represent Ireland in the Eurovision Song Contest 1998, placing 4th in the national final. In July 1998, they released 'Let's Go Dancing (Oh La La La)' with 'Make the Change' as the B-side; the single peaked at number 7 on the Irish Singles Chart. In their personal lives, Anthony married Amanda Lynch in Cancun, Mexico in mid-2008, and Stephen married Avril Kelly in County Kildare in February 2011.
Reader's Guide
The Carter Twins represent a brief but notable chapter in late-1990s Irish pop music. Signed by prominent manager Louis Walsh, they achieved immediate recognition with the Smash Hits Newcomers Award in 1996. Their three top ten Irish singles—including the debut and 'Let's Go Dancing (Oh La La La)'—demonstrated commercial appeal within Ireland, though their UK chart performance was modest. Their attempt to represent Ireland at Eurovision 1998 with a Ronan Keating-penned song placed fourth, highlighting their engagement with national music events. The duo's legacy is limited to a single studio album and a short active period, but they remain a footnote in Irish pop history as a twin act that briefly captured public attention.
Did You Know?
- The Carter Twins were signed by Louis Walsh in 1996.
- They won the Smash Hits Newcomers Award in 1996.
- Their debut single peaked at number 7 on the Irish Singles Chart.
- They placed 4th in the Eurosong 1998 national final with a song written by Ronan Keating.
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