Happy Birthday Johnny Cash

[Goldtop]

The Greatest Ever IMO. He would have been 81 today.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Cash



Lloyd

[Goldtop]

Paul Gilbert on Johnny Cash.



Goldtop Lloyd

[Shawn@PRS]

I'm a huge fan of Johnny Cash, he is an "Every man". No matter who you are, you can project onto Johnny Cash and make him one of your own.

Here is a great latter day Cash song, with Mike Campbell on guitar.

[Goldtop]

Lloyd

[themike]

Nothing but love for the man in black...

[Goldtop]

Here's The Man in Austin at SXSW.



Lloyd

[jfb]

Love stomping my feet to this tune. I still remember buying this release and listening to it on the drive home from the shop.

[Goldtop]

LPC

[Goldtop]

Goldtop

[Goldtop]

Johnny and The Reverend.



Goldtop

[Goldtop]

Johnny sings Marty Robbins.



Goldtop

[alantig]

The reason I picked up a guitar.

Not sure if I told this here before, but my first concert was Johnny Cash in April, 1971. I was 7. At one point, my mother walked me up closer to the stage - nowhere near the stage, still at least 100 feet away, but closer than our seats. I was shaking.

Fast forward to 1987. Earlier that year, I was finally able to take my grandmother to see him (she was a big fan, too). Then, in October, he was doing a book signing here in the morning before a concert that night. So I went to the book signing. As I walked out, I told my wife that I was glad I was meeting him at 24, because if I'd met him when I was younger, I wouldn't have been able to speak to him.

So I go to the signing, and there weren't a ton of people there, so I kind of hung back to be at the end of the line. I had a copy of Folsom Prison to get signed, plus I was getting his book for myself and my grandmother (which led to two months of lying to her about why she couldn't borrow mine), and a copy of June's book, too. So, everybody clears out and I walk up, and Johnny looks up at me and says, "Hello" in that booming voice.

I said...nothing. I couldn't speak. It felt like minutes, but it was only about three seconds. Absolutely nothing would come out. I finally choked out that I'd loved his stuff since I was a kid, and that I played guitar because of him and I couldn't imagine what my life would be like if it wasn't for music. And then he thanked ME. Totally caught me off-guard.

By this time, a couple other people had shown up, so I moved on to get June's book. She asked how I wanted the book signed, and I said, "Your name would be good." And I heard this ROAR of laughter from my left - Johnny Cash was laughing at something I said. Then he started calling over all the people who were there with them and saying, "Did you hear what he said to her? 'Your name would be good.' Oh, that's funny."

I don't think my feet touched the ground before I got home.

[Goldtop]

The reason I picked up a guitar.

Not sure if I told this here before, but my first concert was Johnny Cash in April, 1971. I was 7. At one point, my mother walked me up closer to the stage - nowhere near the stage, still at least 100 feet away, but closer than our seats. I was shaking.

Fast forward to 1987. Earlier that year, I was finally able to take my grandmother to see him (she was a big fan, too). Then, in October, he was doing a book signing here in the morning before a concert that night. So I went to the book signing. As I walked out, I told my wife that I was glad I was meeting him at 24, because if I'd met him when I was younger, I wouldn't have been able to speak to him.

So I go to the signing, and there weren't a ton of people there, so I kind of hung back to be at the end of the line. I had a copy of Folsom Prison to get signed, plus I was getting his book for myself and my grandmother (which led to two months of lying to her about why she couldn't borrow mine), and a copy of June's book, too. So, everybody clears out and I walk up, and Johnny looks up at me and says, "Hello" in that booming voice.

I said...nothing. I couldn't speak. It felt like minutes, but it was only about three seconds. Absolutely nothing would come out. I finally choked out that I'd loved his stuff since I was a kid, and that I played guitar because of him and I couldn't imagine what my life would be like if it wasn't for music. And then he thanked ME. Totally caught me off-guard.

By this time, a couple other people had shown up, so I moved on to get June's book. She asked how I wanted the book signed, and I said, "Your name would be good." And I heard this ROAR of laughter from my left - Johnny Cash was laughing at something I said. Then he started calling over all the people who were there with them and saying, "Did you hear what he said to her? 'Your name would be good.' Oh, that's funny."

I don't think my feet touched the ground before I got home.

What a great story! Thanks for posting it. I never got to meet him OR see him live, but both will change someday.

Goldtop Lloyd

[Goldtop]

Lloyd

[Goldtop]

Lloyd