i grew up listenin to everything, and i mean everything [from quicksilver messenger service to ice cube]. i always thought country was kinda stupid though. when i was about 15, my pop bought me the johnny cash boxed set for my birthday, and i can honestly say, his music has had an effect on me and my life. never knew him personally, but i can assure you he is/was one of the coolest motherfuckers to ever walk the planet. he will be missed more than any of us can ever realy know
One of the rare people who can bring together others from various genres due to his great ability to communicate what many feel.
He was the best. Speed day on friday was dedicated to the man in black. I played the whole greatest hits cd.
I’m listening to “Sue” right now. Johnny will always be the man.
I wrote this to several of my friends and fellow Cash fans when I heard the news. I thought I’d share it with you guys too…
I heard on the radio this morning that Johnny Cash died. I wasn’t surprised; really, he had been in poor health for some time, so it was only a matter of when (although I suppose the same statement can be made about each of us). I was saddened, but having not known him personally, I can?t feel the same way about his death that his friends and family must feel at the loss of a loved one. And although I won’t hear any new music from the man in black, he has recorded hundreds of songs, enough for me and his many fans to enjoy for our lifetime and the lifetime of those that come after us. Indeed, in that respect, the passing of Johnny Cash is the antithesis of other artists who have had lives and careers end before “their time,” Buddy Holley, Roy Orbison, or even more recently Kurt Cobain and Bradley Nowell. It could be said, then, that Cash fully explored the human endeavor and as each of us are mortal, to live the life of Johnny Cash would be to live a life to our fullest and most complete ability.
Still, despite knowing Johnny Cash lived and died the way many of us aspire our own lives to be-love for others, love for his career, and love for his family, I can’t help but think that his survivors are losing something besides a singer who lived his dream to his last day. I say this because the more I think about what Johnny Cash sung about and who he identified with, I realized that there are few, if any, who have what it takes to be like Johnny Cash today and we need to change that. In trying to pick out what made Johnny Cash uniquely, Johnny Cash, I think it was his ability to identify with the common man and transcended through cultural barriers in doing so. Johnny Cash was able to bring the human equation to its least common multiple, each of us, no matter the complexities or simplicities of our respective lives, have felt the emotions that Cash vividly depicted. And while this is what made Cash hugely popular across multiple generations and cultures, what made Cash distinctly different than anyone else was his understanding of people, from the lowly prisoner to the respected president.
Cash sings in his song, Man In Black:
Well, we’re doin’ mighty fine, I do suppose,
In our streak of lightnin’ cars and fancy clothes,
But just so we’re reminded of the ones who are held back,
Up front there ought 'a be a Man In Black.
And that is what makes Cash unique and his passing leaves a void for the rest of us. Despite Cash’s success, he was humble, respectful, and comfortable with people of all social levels and cultures. I am not implying that Cash did not have his own demons, his run in with the law and drug addiction in his youth are well documented, rather it was because of his human faults that he was able to identify with the prisoner, the broken hearted widow, and the lonely cowboy, along with countless others and each of us.
I believe if we could take away one thing from the life of Johnny Cash, it would be to live our own lives in a uniquely Cash way. Stand up for what is right, walk the line, and treat each other with respect.
We’ll miss you Johnny Cash.
Ring of fire works for me. Along with Ira Hayes, Ghost Riders, and John Henry. Oh well, might as well throw in Don’t Take Your Gun to Town.
I don’t know how many times me and my old roomates sat around drinking beer, with the greatest hits CD playing in the background.
Big bummer. I am going to have to go to my mom’s and see if she still has my dad’s old records.
Make sure your kids get exposed to his music. My kids love Johnny because I went out of my way a few years ago to play this music for them. Now they do it on their own. (They have really eclectic music tastes.)
Actually my kids are infected. They thought i was weird when I sang ring of fire in the car, oh, many times. My fiancee’s daughter also got a little interested. Keep in mind thes kids are 9 and 11. They actually like it.