Wanted to shout out to all the Johnny Cash Fans out there. On February 26th, 1932 The Man In Black was born. He would be 78 today. I still have memories of my Dad and my Uncle Bill sitting around the table in the mornings smoking filterless cigarettes (real cowboys back then) and listening to Johnny Cash records. Ira Hayes, John Henry, Jacob Brown and other songs about real people and their struggles in day to day life. My Dad, almost 70 himself, still has that booming voice. He could always sing that low baritone, just like Cash. I still enjoy visiting with my Martin and playing Give My Love to Rose while he sings along.
Cash’s music is perhaps the most important music written/performed in the 20th century. He brought rock ‘n roll, old time, gospel and country to a common place and blended them all effortlessly. His words and songs are, in my opinion, the most honest and authentic ever recorded. The music John recorded late in his life is perhaps his most powerful. He knew who he was and he didn’t try to be someone other than John R. Cash. When people ask me who I would like to meet and have a conversation with, past or present, I can’t think of anyone else. Check out the song/video in this post. Unchained is a title track from one of his last albums, produced by Rick Rubin. These recordings during the Rick Rubin sessions really give you insight as to the depth of the man. His strong spiritual beliefs, devotion to the love of his life and ability to reflect back on who he was, is, and hopes to be are all easy to admire. On a side note, Johnny Cash was a close friend of Carl Perkins, one of the original kings of the Sun Recording sessions. Carl Perkins wrote many of the most popular songs in Rock n Roll history, many of them performed and popularized by artists such as Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis and Bob Dylan. What was one of Carl Perkins’ first instruments?? A homemade cigar box guitar!!
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Happy Birthday JC
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