august 28, 2003 johnny cash came from a poor family in arkansas but he made the most of what he had that didn’t cost much and that was “music”. he learned to play the guitar wrote songs worked his way through high school and in an effort to improve his life joined the air force, did four years in germany, and was honorably discharged in 1954. while he was in germany he performed on base and wrote some of the songs that would later make him one of the world’s best known super stars “folsom prison blues” and “hey porter”. he settled in memphis in 1954 and had various jobs. he played at different clubs in memphis and west arkansas. his goal was a career in music and he was determined to get there. at the same time he got married and begin to have a family. he met luther perkins and marshall grant they formed a band johnny cash and the tennessee two. they worked long hours at getting their performance to the point of perfection and got a job playing at a local radio station in memphis. they went to sun records to audition for sam phillips, phillips liked what he heard and signed johnny to a contract. his first release was “cry! cry! cry!” backed with “hey porter”. later hits were “i walk the line”, “ballard of a teenage queen”, “i guess things happen that way”. his songs were not only country hits they crossed over to become pop hits as well. by 1958 johnny cash had been invited to perform on the grand ole opry and was the rising star of country music, and went to hollywood to try his luck in the movie industry. he returned to memphis when the movie career didn’t move as fast as his record sales. on his return to memphis he hired w.s. holland as his drummer and began to work even harder on his recording career. his deep rich baritone voice his rhythm guitar and a straight forward approach to a song with a smooth schuffling beat was a combination that would last his entire career make him millions and catapult him to mega star status. sam phillips vision that gave elvis his breakthrough to stardom was very shorted sighted in his view of johnny cash, he let him quietly slip away in 1958 to columbia records with no compension. johnny’s contract had expired and nashville was calling. what sam phillips could have done with the future career of johnny cash we will never know. sam never had much to say about the event, one would imagine that the failure to check on a contract experation cost him millions. johnny’s first release on columbia was “don’t take your guns to town”. other hits followed “ring of fire”, “understand your man” and many more. in 1968 he recorded a live album from folsom prison “folsom prison blues” which became a #1 country hit and #2 hit on the pop charts. in the early 60′s he was having trouble with addiction to pills and his first marrage came to an end. it looked like the career of johnny cash might come to an early end. he was down to skin and bones with no desire to continue. with alchol and pills gripping his life he spent a night in a cave and when he came out the next morning he said he’d a spiritual experence and things in his life would be different. in 1969 he recorded “a boy named sue” at san quentin prison that cut, from the album recorded at san quintin became a #1 country hit a #2 pop hit. “a boy named sue” became his biggest selling single and was the cma single of the year, he was the cma entertainer of the year. he married june carter in 1968 and she became a stable influence in his life and stayed by his side until her death. johnny cash has given america and the world his very best. he has set an example for all of us to follow and for generations to come. (he came he saw he conquered). he did it with heartache, dissapointment and all of life’s up’s and downs. he made millions but he gave back millions. he had all money could buy but he remained the simple arkansas citizen that brought him fame. he never got above his rasing and he was kind and gentle to all people he met. johnny cash was an approachable person he never shunned anyone. a was a big man towering over most of us but he could look down at us and say with sinceritely “hello i’m johnny cash.” it goes without saying there will never be another johnny cash, he came from those glamorus 50′s when life in america was simple and exciting. he was there when country music and blues crossed over and became rock-a-billy but no one knew that’s what it was all they knew was it sounded good and it was fun to play. johnny came along when everything had not been explored it was a time of musical magic and a time to do things no one had done before and johnny cash set out to make the most out of this new music. he helped pioneer the sound that 40 years later would be called rock-a-billy but in 1952-53 and 54 it was music that was new and johnny cash played it, played it again wrote words that fit the sound and then … then stepped up to the microphone and said “hey get rhythm when you get the blues” and the world had rock-a-billy. today’s music an’t bad but it ain’t nothing like we had back in the good ole day of rock-a-billy rock-n-roll and john r. cash sang some of it’s very best. another legend gone. life in america will not be the same without johnny cash, a light that help guide us into this new generation of a mixed up nation has gone out. what he stood for will be missed, what he accomplished will not accomplished again. in all of the messed up ideas and goofy plans to make america look stupid johnny cash stood tall like the giant he was and could say “don’t worry about the mule going blind”, “america,” “hang on to the plow”. goodby johnny, we’ll miss you, thanks for the memories, you were a “true american hero” – a man who walked softly and and carried the big guitar.

~ Widmarc Clark