I remember having being forced to listen to Country Music on the radio when I was a little tike. My father was into Country Music when I was younger. He still likes Country Music, but his tastes have grown to include Folk Music and Good Old Rock and Roll.

My father loved driving the backroads near home, and I would often join him. I didn’t really like Country Music, but that was in the late Seventies and early Eighties when Country Music was still kind of cool. I remember listening and singing along to the songs by Charlie Pride, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Hank Williams Sr. and Jr., Dolly Parton, Crystal Gayle, Barbara Mandrel and her sisters, Marty Robins, and of course John R. Cash.

Even back before I was 10 years old (now 20 years later), I was wondering why Johnny Cash was sooo cool. He seemed to transcend all genres of music I knew of, not just Country, but Blues, Rock, and Folk. Over the years, he fell to the wayside of radioland. I originally thought that he had passed away, not knowing or realizing that he was still around. He had become a legend to me.

I was pleasantly surprised when, in the Nineties, he came back with a vengeance. I had figured out much earlier that, indeed, he was still around, trying to kick his addictions, and that he began recording with American Recordings. He blew my mind. His music was definitely not Country anymore, or Rock for that matter. He was his own genre. The Johnny Cash legend would continue to grow and began to re-infiltrate pop-culture. His video for “Delia’s Gone” even appeared in an episode of Beavis and Butthead.

I began to take an interest in Johnny Cash again, but not to the extent I should have. I was in music-loving limbo for almost the entire Nineties, and I’m still not happy with the current state of the music industry. I was sick of all the boy bands, underclothed girl groups and the multitude of one hit wonders that seemed to fall off the face of the perverbial musical planet (I know it’s been happening all throughout music history, but come on, how long must we, music buying public, be bombarded with crap). I was sick of the teenage punk groups riding on the tails of the Clash, Greenday, the Ramones and the Sex Pistols. I was even disappointed in some of U2’s releases, but loved them anyway because they were from U2 (Cash had worked with U2 on the song “The Wanderer” from the 1993 release “Zooropa”). The Stones are still going strong, tour-wise, but have lost the touch to connect with new, and some older fans. Madonna got married, popped out a couple of kids, and wants to be taken seriously now. She never cared before, she still doesn’t care what people think of her or her music, but she still needs to heard. But, Johnny Cash’s music stood out and he remained a legend to me.

Early this year, I first saw Johnny Cash’s video for “Hurt”, his most excellent cover of the Nine Inch Nails classic. I started crying. That song became Johnny’s property, it owned him. The song alone was his story, and biography almost, at least that’s what it seemed to me. The video, beautifully shot and executed, took my breath away. I knew that Johnny Cash had become ill over the past couple of years, but when I saw him on my television I was blown away by the power this (seemingly) weak, almost crippled looking man still had. I finished watching the video with tears running down my face. I had to know more about this version of the song, the story behind the video, and had to have the album.

Living in a small city, I found it hard to locate a copy of the album, but I did find it eventually. I popped into my CD player immediately and listened to the whole album three times. I was so moved by the pieces selected for this great, underappreciated album. Some songs were covers, but again, Cash made them his. The songs that stand out are the songs penned by Cash, such as; The Man Comes Around, Give My Love to Rose, and Tear Stained Letter.

When I woke up this morning and heard that Johnny Cash had passed away over night, I was saddened by the loss of this legend. I immediately remembered falling in love with the man, his music, and the intrigue and legend. I, for one, will miss him and his music. I know that he had suffered health problems and was missing his best friend and wife, June Carter Cash, after her passing. I am comforted to know that they are now together forever to remain great friends and will continue to make beautiful music wherever they are. I know he was still working on his music and has many recordings left to be printed and released. This great man will be remembered throughout many generations of music lovers for a very long time.

Dad, I thank you for introducing me to Johnny Cash. Johnny, I thank you for being part of my upbringing and childhood. You are the coolest cat that walked this planet.

“I went out searching
Looking for one good man
A spirit who would not bend or break
Who would sit at his father's right hand”

Here’s to you, John R. Cash.