Johnny Cash: The Life
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Average rating4.8
People don't just listen to Johnny Cash: they believe in him. But no one has told the Man in Black's full story, until now. In Johnny Cash: The Life, Robert Hilburn conveys the unvarnished truth about a musical icon, whose colourful career stretched from his days at Sun Records with Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis to his remarkable, brave and deeply moving 'Hurt' video, aged sixty-nine. As music critic for the Los Angeles Times, Hilburn knew Cash well throughout his life: he was the only music journalist at the legendary Folsom Prison concert in 1968, and he interviewed Cash and his wife June Carter for the final time just months before their deaths in 2003. Hilburn's rich reporting shows the remarkable highs and deep lows that followed and haunted Cash in equal measure. A man of great faith and humbling addiction, Cash aimed for more than another hit for the jukebox; he wanted his music to lift people's spirits. Drawing upon his personal experience with Cash and a trove of never-before-seen material from the singer's inner circle, Hilburn creates an utterly compelling, deeply human portrait of one of the most iconic figures in modern popular culture - not only a towering figure in country music, but also a seminal influence in rock, whose personal life was far more troubled, and whose musical and lyrical artistry much more profound, than even his most devoted fans ever realised.
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Went into this book with minor expectations but come out impressed. Mr. Hilburn, for the most part, sticks to the facts, and it works well for him. The tone is not gossipy, but there aren't many stones left unturned. It's clear that the author obtained the trust of the Cash family and received access not normally granted. I knew the broad strokes of Cash's life, but most of what I knew was part of the legend and not the facts. It's a very readable, enjoyable, informative book that is also very well written. One of the best books I read in 2014. Highly recommended.
Did you know Shel Silverstein wrote “A Boy Named Sue”? Or that Johnny Cash's last 4 albums were produced by the same guy who produced the Beastie Boys? I sure didn't.
Reading a biography like this, of someone who has lived so many different chapters of life and so much of it in public view, who brushed shoulders with so many greats, is always really interesting to me. Reading about his perspectives on his music and his desire to live his life for God in the later years really made me feel like I could understand this artist. Reading about his repetitive spirals into drug addiction and the ways he abandoned his family over and over again made me think twice about the idea of boundaries and rest. Thought-provoking, insightful, and inspiring.
The only drawback was the pacing. I felt like the author included every detail, every concert date, every city and name. In the last fifth of the book, when Cash was practically bedridden and had stopped performing so many live shows, it was much more enjoyable. Having to read every city he stopped in over a 40+ year career got old. But, I really did like the little shout out to Spartanburg, SC, so maybe it was worth it.
Age range: 17+
Cash (and various members of his family and entourage) had serious drug problems. Plus, the author doesn't pull any punches talking about his unfaithfulness to his wife in the early years.
