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Volume CXXXIII, Number 2 |
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The Man in Black fondly remembered
PAT WOODCOCK
STAFF WRITER
"I'll tell ya what…the show is being recorded and they told me you gotta do this song, you gotta do that song, you gotta stand like this or act like that…they just don't get it…I'm here to what you want me to do and what I want to do…so what do you want to hear?"
That was the question that Johnny Cash posed to nearly 1,000 inmates huddled together in the mess hall of San Quentin Prison on February 24, 1969. The question was answered with cheers followed by calls for "Walk the Line," one of Cash's more popular songs. The Man in Black quickly heeded the request, allowing the inmates to escape their dreary routine for a few hours.
Johnny Cash was not an actor; he was purely a performer. In an age where record labels promote musicians through superficiality, Cash's image was based on honesty. Cash's conviction powered his witty stories of love, adversity and the often extremely painful combination of the two. He was a champion of the genuine heart of America, the type of people that faced a hard day, everyday. Johnny Cash earned their respect through a candidness about his own adversity, and an unmatched sincerity in his voice.
Cash was born into a depressed America in 1932. A child of farmers in Kingsland, Arkansas, Cash traveled north to work at an auto plant in Pontiac, Michigan and later joined the Air Force. There he began writing a few songs with limited success; however, more importantly, during this time the decision to become a music star was made. Cash worked doggedly to achieve his dream, teaming up with a pair of auto mechanics to play at churches and country fairs. His group, the Tennessee Three, was signed by Sun Records in 1955 and he produced his first hit, "Cry, Cry, Cry." The album sold nearly 100,000 copies in the South. Cash's dream had come true and for the next twenty years Cash experienced nearly unparalleled success. In the 1950s Cash produced his classic hits "Ring of Fire," "Walk the Line," and "Folsom Prison Blues," songs of individual struggle with human nature.
A dependency on prescription drugs caused Cash to fall into his own personal struggle in the 1960s. He became depressed and in 1965 was arrested and pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor drug charge. Cash spent one night in jail. His savior was June Carter, who became Cash's great love. June forced Johnny to rediscover himself and to start attending Church services. June and Johnny, country music's first couple, tied the knot in 1968.
In 1969, Cash quickly rebounded and began hosting a prime time television show, The Johnny Cash Show, where he served as the backdrop to such stars as Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Stevie Wonder, Roy Orbison and Neil Young. Also in 1969, Cash produced his biggest pop hit, "A Boy Named Sue," a Shel Silverstein song that followed the obvious struggles of a man with an effeminate name.
During the 1980s and early 1990s The Man in Black lost some of his record-selling success, but continued to be an influential musician, teaming up on individual songs with Ray Charles, Emmylou Harris, U2, and Willie Nelson. In 1994, Rick Rubin, co-founder of rap label Def Jam, wanted to reproduce the magical simplicity of Cash's earlier success and produced four albums with only Cash and a guitar for the American Recordings label. These albums had limited success with the exception of the last.
Cash produced American IV: The Man Comes Around at age 71. The album overflows with self-reflection, deep loneliness, and power. Earlier this year, Mark Romanek, who directed One Hour Photo, made a stark music video for Cash's cover of the Nine Inch Nails song "Hurt." I have never seen so much gravity in a man's face and voice. Using the same unique intensity and openness that has marked his career, Cash's video was nominated for six MTV Video Music Awards and won for cinematography.
Johnny Cash died last Friday, September 12. He leaves behind him a life
of sincerity. The Man in Black's music developed from his inner-self,
and was performed entirely for the audience. In that respect, Johnny Cash
is unmatched, but hopefully not forgotten.
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