Tag Archives: Johnny Cash

May1

26 of My Favorites A to Z

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26 of My Favorites A to Z

I had a lot of fun in April blogging about 26 of my favorite things in the A to Z challenge. So much fun in fact that I wanted to list all of my favorites in this one blog post, each highlighted with links back to the original posts. I have also included some honorable mentions to truly include all of my favorites. So here are 26 of my favorites from A to Z!

A is for (brady) Anderson with Autobiographies as honorable mention.

B is for (denver)  Broncos with Biographies as honorable mention.

C is for (johnny) Cash with Casinos as honorable mention.

D is for Dogs.

E is for Elvis Presley.

F is for Facebook and social media.

G is for Grease.

H is for Happy Days with History as honorable mention.

I is for iPhone with Ice Cream as honorable mention.

J is for James Dean.

K is for (the) Kennedys.

L is for Larry Mullen with Lisa Marie Presley as honorable mention.

M is for Memphis with Music as honorable mention.

N is for (olivia) Newton-John.

O is for (baltimore) Orioles with Orange as honorable mention.

P is for Pizza.

Q is for Queso (aka Cheese).

R is for Robert Cassotto (aka Bobby Darin).

S is for Soap Operas with Sit Coms as honorable mention.

T is for (lana) Turner.

U is for U2.

V is for (las) Vegas.

W is for Writing.

X is for Xanadu.

Y is for Yoo-Hoo.

Z is for Zoo.

I will definitely participate the A to Z Challenge again next year. I met lots of new friends, read a lot of interesting new blogs, and I loved writing my about all of my favorite things.

Apr3

C is Cash, Johnny – one of my favorite singers

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C is Cash, Johnny – one of my favorite singers

A favorite of mine that begins with C is Cash, Johnny – better known as Johnny Cash. Johnny Cash is linked to my two favorites, Elvis Presley and U2. Like Elvis, Johnny also started at Sun Studio. He, Elvis, Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis were dubbed the Million Dollar Quartet after a jam session one December night at Sun. U2 and Johnny Cash recorded a song together called The Wanderer.

I had always liked Johnny Cash because he was a legend, but it wasn’t until I moved to Memphis that I really became a fan. I attended the premiere of Johnny Cash’s America – and then my love for Johnny Cash began. I immediately bought all of his music, biographies and dvds. A few days later I drove to Dyess, Arkansas to Johnny’s boyhood home, which was featured in the movie Walk the Line about Johnny’s life. I then sought out his adult homes in Memphis. Although I was too late to see Johnny in person, I was able to see and meet his bass player and lifelong friend Marshall Grant. Marshall performed one last time, talked about his life with Johnny and then signed autographs. Last summer after the U2 360 show in Nashville, I finally visited Johnny Cash’s grave in Hendersonville, TN.

What do you think about Johnny Cash?

This blog post is part of my A to Z April Challenge – 26 of my favorites. Thanks for stopping by. I am also blogging the A to Z challenge on my other blog On the Road with U2.

Dec4

Million Dollar Quartet – Dec 4, 1956

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Million Dollar Quartet – Dec 4, 1956

55 years ago today four of the greatest musicians of all time had an impromptu jam session in a little studio in Memphis, Tennessee. Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins played together in Sun Studio on December 4, 1956, and Sam Phillips was smart enough to record it. Carl Perkins was recording at Sun Studio that Tuesday night in December. Jerry Lee Lewis, who was not yet famous, was a session pianist playing for Carl. Elvis Presley, who had left Sun for RCA, just happen to stop by to visit Sam Phillips. Then Sam called Johnny Cash to come over. And The Million Dollar Quartet was born. The best things in life are unplanned. Please watch this video of The Million Dollar Quartet.

Jerry Lee, Carl, Elvis, Johnny - The Million Dollar Quartet

 

Last summer while I was in Chicago for Lollapalooza, I decided to see the play Million Dollar Quartet at the Apollo Theatre. The Apollo Theatre is very intimate. The stage is level with the front row, which is where I sat. Million Dollar Quartet was a fantastic play! It brought a tear to my eye. The guy who played Sam Phillips, Tim Decker, was amazing. He was completely transformed as Sam. And Elvis was played by David Lago, who I remember from Young and the Restless and 7th Heaven. I was completely in my element. This is my music, rockabilly. I was definitely born too late.  I am just so proud that this play is popular, so America can learn that Rock n Roll started in Memphis, not Cleveland where the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame is located. Please watch my video of my night at Million Dollar Quartet in Chicago.

Apollo Theatre Chicago

Million Dollar Quartet Chicago

Carl, Elvis, Jerry Lee, Johnny

‘Sun Studio’

my million dollar quartet stuff

Jul30

Marshall Grant at the Brooks 7.29.10

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Marshall Grant at the Brooks 7.29.10

A music legend played for the last time last night in front of a sold out crowd at the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art. Marshall Grant, who was Johnny Cash’s bass player for 30 years, talked about his life with Johnny Cash and then wowed the crowd with a performance of ‘Folsom Prison Blues’ featuring a young singer named Denny.

Folsom Prison Blues

It was supposed to be a Q & A session, but Marshall Grant is such a great story teller that he took over the show with stories from his life with Johnny Cash that he put in his book “I Was There When It Happened” – coincidently is the first song they played for Sam Phillips at Sun Studio. And Marshall’s story is what the movie ’Walk the Line” is based on. 

Marshall Grant's book

One of the most touching moments of the night was when Marshall got choked up while telling about Johnny writing ‘Walk the Line’ over 50 years ago.

Marshall the master story teller

After almost an hour and a half of stories, Marshall got a singer and guitar player and slapped that bass one last time with Folsom Prison Blues.

Marshall Grant on bass

the last performance

At 82, he said all things must end, so he told his wife this would be his last performance. What an honor is was to be there for Marshall Grant’s final song!

Marshall puts down his bass for the last time

After Marshall Grant put down his bass for the last time, we waited in line to meet him and have him sign his wonderful book.

I’m so lucky to live in Memphis where nights like this happen. Thank you Memphis Brooks Museum of Art for hosting. And thank you Marshall Grant for your years of fantastic music and sharing your memories with us!

Please watch my video of Marshall signing, unfortunately we were not allowed to video his performance. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ej5hsadLpvc