The Family Side of Johnny Cash
07/20/2006 12:35 Filed in: Music
Most people can relate to Johnny Cash. We connect to him, regardless of who were are--saint, sinner, rich or poor. When I listen to him, he doesn't feel like a disconnected "celebrity," but a friend or a neighbor--perhaps at times I think of him as family. When Cash sings of pain and brokenness or redemption and peace, we understand because we've been there. His journey is like our journey. His songs prove that he understands.
Last year, when I reviewed Walk the Line, Darcie (Cash) Johnson emailed me, reminding me that she was Johnny's cousin (FYI: Darcie and my wife Kathy were fast friends in high school and roommates their first year of college). To be honest, I didn't remember the Cash-family connection. I knew that Darcie's last name was Cash before she married Jeffrey Johnson, but I don't think I realized her relation to the late singer.
Originally, I planned to post this story last year, but at her initial time of writing, Darcie couldn't find the picture of her and Johnny Cash. She sent it a few weeks later, but it got set aside in the busyness of my thoughts. Andrew's review of American V reminded today me.
Anyway, the story she related in her message rings so true from everything I've ever heard about Johnny Cash. I'm sure there are many such stories about him, but I believe Darcie's account perfectly describes Cash's love of family over fame and fortune. This event took place approximately 30 years ago when Darcie was seven-years-old.
Darcie writes:
I'm sure Kathy has told you that Johnny Cash and my dad are first cousins. That's why I play the guitar and sing so well!!! When I was about 7 years old and still living up north, he was performing at the Saratoga Fair in New York. My mom got tickets to the concert and we were at the fair for my father to race his horses. My mom had my dad send his race track ID tag backstage that had his picture and name on it. The two hadn't seen each other since they were small children in Arkansas but Johnny sent for them to send my dad backstage.
It was my mom and dad, my maternal grandmother (who became a country music fan that day), and me. He hugged and kissed us three women and talked over old times as children in Arkansas with my father for probably a half hour. The stage manager kept coming back and saying "Johnny, come on. You're on now" and Johnny would wave his hand and say "a few more minutes."
So June Carter and the Carter sisters were his opening act so they would sing another song. Then the guy would come back and say it again, Johnny would wave his hand again and June would sing another song. This happened 3 or four times before Johnny kissed us all and went on and June could rest her pipes.
Last year, when I reviewed Walk the Line, Darcie (Cash) Johnson emailed me, reminding me that she was Johnny's cousin (FYI: Darcie and my wife Kathy were fast friends in high school and roommates their first year of college). To be honest, I didn't remember the Cash-family connection. I knew that Darcie's last name was Cash before she married Jeffrey Johnson, but I don't think I realized her relation to the late singer.
Originally, I planned to post this story last year, but at her initial time of writing, Darcie couldn't find the picture of her and Johnny Cash. She sent it a few weeks later, but it got set aside in the busyness of my thoughts. Andrew's review of American V reminded today me.
Anyway, the story she related in her message rings so true from everything I've ever heard about Johnny Cash. I'm sure there are many such stories about him, but I believe Darcie's account perfectly describes Cash's love of family over fame and fortune. This event took place approximately 30 years ago when Darcie was seven-years-old.
Darcie writes:
It was my mom and dad, my maternal grandmother (who became a country music fan that day), and me. He hugged and kissed us three women and talked over old times as children in Arkansas with my father for probably a half hour. The stage manager kept coming back and saying "Johnny, come on. You're on now" and Johnny would wave his hand and say "a few more minutes."
So June Carter and the Carter sisters were his opening act so they would sing another song. Then the guy would come back and say it again, Johnny would wave his hand again and June would sing another song. This happened 3 or four times before Johnny kissed us all and went on and June could rest her pipes.