Titles

Johnny Cash: The Songs

Edited by Don Cusic
Thunder's Mouth Press / Avalon
Fall 2004
ISBN: 1-56025-629-X

The boxed set “Unearthed,” released shortly after Johnny Cash’s death in September 2003, contains a version of Cash’s classic song “The Caretaker” in which he asks, “Who’s gonna cry when old John dies?” The answer to that question is the millions of fans, admirers, and fellow musicians who have felt the power of Cash’s words and voice for the past six decades. His many recordings rank among the best in country music history. Up to the days preceding his death, Cash continued to write and record. Hundreds of his songs, including “I Walk the Line” and “Folsom Prison Blues” are among the bedrock of the country music canon. Cash’s songs tell stories of hope, despair, vengeance, lust, God, greed, violence, repentance, and love. His late recordings garnered him two Grammys and an MTV Music Award, and his final studio album went gold. His collaboration with Rick Rubin and American Records built bridges between generations and musical styles: working with singers like Nick Cave, Fiona Apple, and Joe Strummer, and covering songs by Nine Inch Nails, Glen Danzig, and Soundgarden, Cash’s last records found thousands of young, loyal listeners who wouldn’t otherwise consider themselves fans of country music.

Author Bio

Don Cusic has been actively involved in the music business since 1973 as an author, teacher, historian, musician, songwriter, and executive. He has authored twelve published books including the biography of Eddy Arnold: I’ll Hold You In My Heart, an encyclopedia of cowboys, Cowboys and the Wild West: An A-Z Guide from the Chisholm Trail to the Silver Screen, Reba McEntire: Country Music’s Queen, and Randy Travis: King of the New Traditionalists. He has also written album liner notes for artists such as Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, and George Jones and assisted on the Time-Life series on Country Music. As a songwriter, he has had songs recorded by the Lewis Family, Linda Davis, Carrell McCall, and Chris Ledoux.