|
We have a local college station from Cal State Northridge (Los Angeles) that did something like 6 hours of a Johnny Cash tribute last fall. They would have someone who knew Cash reminisce about him, then play a relevant song by The Man In Black His Own Self.
One of my favorites: Rodney Crowell talked about writing his song, "The First Time I Heard Johnny Cash Sing 'I Walk The Line.'"
He meant it as a tribute...and was Cash's son-in-law at the time, I think. But Crowell said that he played the song for Johnny, sat back expecting major compliments...and soon realized, with horror, that Johnny Cash was actually sort of pissed off.
Cash said something like this, as I remember:
"Rodney, I don't appreciate you taking my song and changing it that way. But I'll tell you what I'm gonna do. To show you how GOOD I am at this, I'll sing 'I Walk The Line' right in the middle of your song...even though it's a completely different tempo and everything else."
If you've ever heard Crowell's song, you know Cash did exactly what he promised. And a quite awesome job he did, too!
Oh, my favorite Cash anecdote of all time, for you young 'uns:
Rosanne got most of the P.R., but for a while Cash's stepdaughter Carlene was the Blonde Sheep of the family. (Named for her daddy, the great honky-tonk singer Carl Smith--June Carter's first husband.)
Back in the 70's when she was trying to launch her career, Carlene appeared one night at the Lone Star Cafe in New York City. Unknown to her, Johnny Cash and June Carter slipped into the audience to catch her act.
Carlene introduced a fairly raunchy song she had written, "Swap Meat Rag," by saying: "Well, this oughta put the 'cunt' back into 'country.'"
The people seated near her parents said Johnny and June "looked like they wanted to fall straight thru the floor."
|
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
