Johnny Cash is "The Man in Black." A patriarch of country music, Cash has played with and influenced some of the greatest figures in contemporary music. Cash has a voice that can bend steel. Deep, resonant, and manly, when combined with...
[more]Johnny Cash is "The Man in Black." A patriarch of country music, Cash has played with and influenced some of the greatest figures in contemporary music. Cash has a voice that can bend steel. Deep, resonant, and manly, when combined with his songs' marching bass lines, the Cash voice evokes a sense of the spiritual.
Cash, the son of Southern Baptist sharecroppers, began his career in Memphis, Tennessee, recording at the Sun Records studio with guitarist Luther Perkins and bassist Marshall Grant. The trio had a few hits, but really nailed it with "I Walk the Line" in 1956. As with so many other successful artists, Cash began to have some problems with drugs and alcohol. But he kept producing powerful music like "Ring of Fire," and, eventually, rediscovered his spiritual roots and love of his songwriter/partner June Carter. From that point forward Cash became a greater and greater influence on the music industry, attracting collaborators such as Bob Dylan. He even had a television show, "The Johnny Cash Show," which showcased an eclectic selection of musical talent, including such luminaries as Louis Armstrong, Carl Perkins, Dylan, and others.
Most recently, Cash has made a comeback after a desultory decade or so in the '80s, with a guest spot on U2's "Zooropa," and with his alternative-sounding, Grammy-winning "American Recordings" album which emphasizes his deep, brooding voice.
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