TCB's Legend Series

Carl Smith

 Remembering Patsy

Skeeter Davis

Sammi Smith

The Legendary Johnny Cash

Johnny Cash is arguably the best known, most popular and, some may say, the best country music artist of all time. Whilst Johnny’s music spread over a vast range of country sub-genres, he is not generally identified as a `countrypolitan’ artist. Nonetheless, Johnny Cash was a pioneer of country music’s incursion into the field of `pop’, and offerings such as `Over The Next Hill’, `Any Old Wind That Blows’, and `Sweeter Than Flowers’ have a distinct `countrypolitan’ flavor.

February 26, 1932 saw Johnny Cash enter this world in Kingsland, Arkansas. Educated in the neighboring town of Dyess, John also won a talent quest in that town. His 1959 hit `Five Feet High and Rising’ related to his childhood experiences living near the Mississippi River. Departing childhood, John joined the U.S. Air Force and served for a time in Germany as a radio operator, but this did not lessen his musical appreciation. He undertook singing lessons and also followed in the footsteps of his mother by playing the guitar.

Leaving the Air Force, John and his wife, Vivian Liberto, moved to San Antonio. However, the music in John’s blood still prevailed and he approached Sam Phillips of Sun Records in Memphis for an audition as a gospel singer. Phillips basically told John to return when he had something more commercial to offer.

John was introduced to Luther Perkins (lead guitar) and Marshall Grant (bass) by his elder brother, Roy, a member of a country music band. The three joined forces and John once again approached Sam Phillips for an audition. Phillips insisted on calling John `Johnny’ and the band became know as Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Two.

The band’s first record was `Hey, Porter’ and `Cry, Cry, Cry’, the latter reaching No.14 on the country charts. Johnny followed up in 1956 with hits `Folsom Prison Blues’, `Get Rhythm’ and `I Walk The Line’. `I Walk The Line’ reached No.17 on the U.S. pop charts and later became the theme song for a movie of the same name.

The Sam Phillip’s stable, at that time, also comprised such notables as Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins. A later recording of a jam session at Sun Studios was released entitled `The Million Dollar Quartet’. Although part of the related photo, Johnny actually left the session and went shopping. The other three became huge names in the fledgling genre of `rock `n’ roll’, but Johnny remained true to country music.

Johnny and the Tennessee Two continued their success at Sun records. In 1958, they released such hits as `Ballad of a Teenage Queen’, `The Ways of a Woman in Love’, `Guess Things Happen That Way’, `Big River’, and `All Over Again’. The first three reaching the Top 30 of the U.S. pop charts. They also appeared on the TV show: `Ranch Party’.

In 1960, the group were joined by Carl Perkin’s drummer, W.S. Holland, on a permanent basis. As well as playing on all Carl Perkins’ hits and being the drummer at `The Million Dollar Quartet’ sessions, Holland had played on all of Johnny Cash’s recordings at Sun and remained with Johnny until Johnny’s enforced retirement due to illness in 1997. The group then became known as Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Three. However, in 1958, Johnny and the group had had a falling out with Sam Phillips with disputes over the amount of royalties paid and Sam’s refusal to record an album. Johnny switched to Columbia Records and had almost immediate success with `Don’t Take Your Guns To Town’.

With his popularity demanding shows almost daily, Johnny turned to drugs to maintain momentum. This unfortunate habit did lead to some disruptions. It effected his performances and his marriage to Vivian Liberto. Johnny was even banned from playing The Grand Ole Opry in 1965, for unseemly behavior as a result of his drug and alcohol abuse. However Johnny continued on. In 1963 he had a major hit, `Ring Of Fire’, written by Merle Kilgore and June Carter, wife of drinking buddy, Carl Smith. He also featured in two movies during this period: `Five Minutes To Live’ and `Hootenanny Hoot’.

Then tragedy struck. Johnny’s lead guitarist, Luther Perkins, died in a fire so Sun recording star Carl Perkins stepped in to fill the void. Perkins was effected by alcoholism, just as Johnny was effected by a drug habit. The effect of the union, however, was positive as they were able to provide support to each other to beat the habits. Nonetheless, Johnny continued his road shows, supported by June Carter, Carl Perkins and The Statler Brothers. The chemistry between Johnny and June was such that he actually proposed to her on stage.

In 1968, Johnny recorded an album in Folsom Prison and, the following year, recorded another album in a prison, this time San Quentin. A track performed live at Folsom Prison, `A Boy named Sue’, reached the top 10 on the U.S. pop charts and No.4 in Britain. However, Johnny also diversified his interests with the television special `Johnny Cash - The Man, His World, His Music’, and `The Johnny Cash Show’, which lasted until 1971. John also opened The House of Cash in Hendersonville, for the purpose of recording.

By this stage, Johnny had pretty much beaten his drug habit. In this regard he had turned to God for support and both his belief and his new partner, June Carter, helped him overcome his addiction. In return, Johnny recorded a number of albums with a gospel flavor including `The Gospel Road’ which included, amongst others, contributions from The Statler Brothers and a young singer/songwriter whom Johnny had helped with his career - Kris Kristofferson. `Gospel Road’ was a movie in 1973, and Johnny’s other ventures into this field during this period were `A Gunfight’, and `Thaddeus Rose and Eddie’. John also wrote his autobiography `Man in Black’ in 1975. He followed up with a novel `Man In White’ in 1986. John’s penchant for dressing in black is said to relate to his belief that rhinestone suits detract from the music. (Obviously Johnny’s former lead guitarist, the very talented Marty Stuart, does not concur with this point of view - Marty joined the band in 1980).

Johnny also continued his TV work with the specials `Johnny Cash and Friends’ in 1976 and Christmas Specials for the four years to 1979. He also made guest appearances in `Columbo’ and, later, `The Simpsons’ and `Dr.Quinn, Medicine Woman’.

In 1981, Johnny once again joined Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis in Sun Studios, Memphis to record an album entitled `Survivors’, and again in 1985 for the album `Class of ‘55’. However, Johnny changed career tack slightly when he joined with Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson and Waylon Jennings to form `The Highwaymen’. Johnny continued to perform with The Carter Family as well as The Highwaymen. The movies continued to flow also: `The Pride of Jesse Hallman’, `Murder in Coweta County’, and `The Baron and The Kid’.

In 1986, Johnny moved to Mercury Records but his career maintained its momentum. He recorded `Water From The Wells Of Home’ with Emmylou Harris and others and had a hit with `The Night Hank Williams Came To Town’. His daughter, Rosanne Cash, also had a No.1 hit with `Tennessee Flat Top Box’, written by Johnny in the 1960’s. Rosanne Cash was to marry fellow artist, Rodney Crowell, who was to record Johnny’s major hit `I Walk The Line’ many years later. Johnny also continued his movie work with: `Stagecoach’, `The Last Days of Frank and Jesse James’, `Davy Crockett’, `Rainbow In The Thunder’ and `Radio Star - die AFN-Story’.

However, with the advent of `New Country’, securing record contracts became a much harder task for Johnny. Johnny returned to his ‘60’s efforts of using a guitar to back his storytelling, along similar lines to his noted `The Ballad of Ira Hayes’ from earlier years.

In 1996, Johnny recorded `Unchained’ which won the Grammy for the Best Country album of 1998. The album featured, amongst others, Johnny’s renditions of Dean Martin’s `Memories Are Made Of This and Don Gibson’s `Sea Of Heartbreak’. However, in 1997, Johnny collapsed on stage, and it was announced that he had Parkinson’s Disease. Johnny was later told he was suffering from Shy-Drager’s Syndrome, which has no cure. In 2000, Johnny was admitted to hospital with double pneumonia but managed to pull through. In his troubles, however, Johnny Cash has always thought of others and supports, among others, the American Cancer Society, Youth for Christ, YMCA, Campus Life as well as associations for autistic children, battered women, and mental health.

Johnny Cash is a musical legend in his own lifetime. Very few artists have been his equal in achievement. Johnny’s notable achievements are listed on Johnny's official website. They include:

• youngest person ever chosen for the Country Music Hall of Fame
• 48 singles in the Billboard Top 100 pop charts
• 130 singles in the Billboard country charts
• won 10 grammies
• 24 CMA nominations
• induction into both the Country and Rock Music Halls of Fame
• sold over 50 million records

* Article appears courtesy of www.countrypolitan.com

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