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What comes to mind when you hear America?
It’s not all about baseball games, homemade apple pie and patriotism. That is part of it. But what do YOU think of? Freedom, that’s a good one, freedom, .blue jeans, and music, YOUR choice of music. We love out heart stopping, body pulsating, straight from the soul music. Whether you love a country classic, can’t get enough of a hot Rock & Roll tune or depending on your mood, take a bit of all genre’s in throughout the day…
We are a Nation with Liberty and Music for All.
One of the greatest American Singer/ Song Writer of all times in American History is Mr. Johnny Cash. His name is just as comfortable and common as those old blue jeans you just can not bring yourself to throw away.
but because of these experiences it began to shape him into the American Icon we all came to know and love.. He used his personal experiences and incorporated them into his soulful lyrics and skillful rhythms.
He sang about this country in the time of war and controversy. He sang about the poor, the oppressed and the racial ignorance of the day. He had a gift of being able to keep his hand on the pulse of this nation and used that to turn our aches, pains, triumphs and tragedies into tunes that have and will stand the test of time. Johnny Cash, truly a legend, an American legend. Bob Dylan once said "Johnny is and was the North Star: You could guide your ship by him." "The greatest of the greats, then and now."
Sheryl Crow was deeply influenced by our Great Man in
Black. "I sang at John's funeral, and I
Emmy Lou Harris said " I was doing a show with Neil Young...when John died. At the end of the show...Neil played "Taps" on the guitar. John seemed so completely American-if I might say in a time of such turmoil that I'm not sure we know who we are as a people. He seemed to be the voice of truth in everything he did. There was nothing unnatural about John Cash-this was not an act. He rose to the occasion on The Man Comes Around in a way that was astonishing. And the video "Hurt" puts all those bare-navel , soft-porn videos to shame. It shows videos can actually have a profound effect on us, and it took Johnny Cash to once again show that. It's come full circle, because when he first came on the scene with that power, he was all that rock & roll could be.
As you can see, Johnny actually changed lives through music and life. I personally am in awe of this man who changed lives and still influences today.
He broke the boundaries of Country, Rock, and Pop charts which no group or artist ever accomplished or has done since.
One of the many amazing traits J.R. Cash kept is that
he was never one to chase fads. He remained loyal to what he did best and
it worked for well over 50 years. When all the other chart toppers went
electric, Johnny remained acoustic. That sharp fast sound that began
Cash’s Even now in 2006, Johnny Cash is still on the charts according to Rolling Stone magazine. “The Legend of Johnny Cash” was in the top 40 album charts since its release in 2005. Also the sound track to “Walk the Line”, an autobiographical movie which came out in 2004, has also been in the top 40 for over a year.
Even now, we see more of the Man In Black albums appearing all over the charts several years past his sorrowful death.
We lost a great American Icon when we lost J. R. Cash.
We will always miss him and remember him as a hero.
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Joaquin Phoenix as Johnny Cash (awesome flaming guitar) |
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Joaquin Phoenix as Johnny Cash (VERY Johnny-like pose) |
Born
during the depression (February 26, 1932) in Arkansas, this man knew first
hand of poverty and hardships. Plenty of scarring memories for a young
boy quite early in life, Johnny learned to cope by totally immersing
himself in music. Not only was that his escape from reality,
cannot lie: It was hard. There was a real sense we had turned a corner.
Because there can never be another Johnny Cash. I grew up in a place
where people were very God-fearing, land-loving, and John represented the
salt of the earth to me. He spoke for every man and personified the human
struggles that we all go through. He was almost biblical, because he
walked this earth and experienced all a man could suffer. Yet he still
rose up out of the ashes with this great strength and gave voice to that
strength for all of us."
Mark
Romanek, video director, HURT. "The sadness in the video is
genuine-Johnny said that "Hurt" was the best anti-drug song he'd ever
heard. The rage you see when he pours the wine on the table or starts to
weep is a direct result of having lost himself."
thrilling
blast to fame, he remained loyal to through the years. And in Johnny’s
last year on this earth, we were blessed with still more of his great
music which ended up rocketing to number one and winning a Grammy for best
video the same year John died at the age of 71, in 2003.
