“The Man in Black”

Johnny Cash

  Johnny Cash – The Beginning of a Johnny Cash – The Beginning of a LegendLegend

• J.R. Cash was born on February 26, 1932 in Kingsland, Arkansas to Ray and Carrie Rivers Cash.

• Johnny’s family moved to Dyess, Arkansas to work on the farms.

• Coming from such a close, tight-knit family intensified Johnny’s love of music.

• While working in the fields alongside his family, Johnny would be surrounded by soulful church hymns and ballads while the hard-working farmers tried to get through the day.

• Johnny’s mother observed and entertained her son’s love of music and eventually saved enough money for a Guitar and singing lessons.

• Johnny graduated high school and ventured to Pontiac, Michigan in hopes of eventually traveling the world.

• Johnny then enlisted in the U.S. Airforce after the Korean War broke out.

• He was soon stationed in Landsber, West Germany where he worked as a Radio Intercept Operator.

• It was in Germany where he put together his first band and wrote “Folsom Prison Blues”

Johnny Cash – It Begins

• After a stint with the Air Force, Johnny moved to Tennessee and married Vivian Lebreto.

• Although he worked in the Appliance industry, he continued to pursue his music on the side.

• Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Two” was born with guitarist Luther Perkins and Marshall Grant.

• Another phenomenon was introduced in Tennessee, Elvis Presley. Instantly, Johnny knew his path was going to be the same.

• Intent on cutting a deal with Sun Records, Cash and his band secured an audition with Sam Phillips.

• Phillips didn’t like the sound of “Gospel”, but was intrigued with Cash and his band.

Where’d you get that voice…

• Johnny Cash & the Tennessee Two returned with “Hey Porter” and “Cry Cry Cry” which immediately caught Phillips’ attention

• “Cry Cry Cry” became an instant success. “Folsom Prison Blues” soon followed . Johnny’s claim to fame was the cult classis, “I Walk the Line” later released in 1957

• Johnny debuted at the Grand Ole Opry and was dubbed “The Man in Black”

• Johnny Cash continued to catapult to fame with hits like “Hot and Blue Guitar”, Ballad of a Teenage Queen”, and “Guess Things Happen”.

• Johnny desired to record a Gospel album, Sun Records would not allow it, so Johnny soon signed with Columbia Records.

• Johnny began abusing drugs and alcohol and his wife, Vivien, grew tired of his behavior, divorced him.

• He then got notoriety for his trouble with the law. Everything from smuggling Amphetamines from Mexico to starting a Forrest Fire in Tennessee.

Back from The Ashes…..

• Johnny soon met June Carter, the love of his life. June co-wrote “Ring of Fire” as a song dedicated to Johnny while he was going through his drug addiction.

• June’s influence converted Johnny to fundamentalist Christianity and sobered him up. As he began to clean up, his music came along with him.

• “Jackson”” and “Roseanna’s Going Wild” became instant hits.

• Johnny proposed to June Carter in 1968. Not too much later after Johnny was able to launch himself into new aspects of media.

• “The Johnny Cash Show (1969-1971) introduced new contemporary artists to the world and discussed political topics Johnny and June were both passionate about.

• It was also 1968 where Johnny Cash won two Grammy’s for recording the infamous “Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison

• Johnny maintained busy music business by entertaining with the likes of Roy Orbison, Willly Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, and Waylon Jennings.

• Johnny Cash died from complications of Diabetes and Shy-Drager syndrome on September 12, 2003.

Folsom Prison Blues –

“I shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die”. One of the more popular songs Johnny Cash is known for, starts out with Johnny Cash singing in first person as an inmate jailed at the infamous Folsom Prison longing for freedom. Better noted, this song is said to be one of the first songs Johnny Cash had ever written. He wrote it while deployed in Germany. The song was the second release after “Hey Porter”, by Sun Records. It was produced by Sam Phillips. The original release date was December 15, 1955 in addition to “So Doggone Lonesome”.

 0.00 – The song starts out like most Johnny Cash songs with the guitar playing some major sounding notes to form the melody with the drums playing the rhythm that stays the same throughout the song. The vocals follow the guitar with a major dynamic as the vocals sing along with the melody making a new harmony for the song. Towards the end of the first verse, the vocals make a transition to a mellow and low tone. Three chorus is played after the verse as the melody changes to a lower tone.

0.30 - The second verse starts at this point with the same dynamics as the first verse with a quicker rhythm and similar melody.

1.00 – A minute into the song, the guitar shows timbre as it starts the first solo of the song with a major sounding tone as single notes are played following the rhythm of the drum, beat and vocals come to a stop to let the guitar lead the texture of the song.

1.24 – The next verse starts in after the guitar plays the solo. It changes back into the same melody and rhythm as before as the drums play the same beat throughout the song. The vocals chime in as the next verse starts. The dynamic then changes back into the same major sound with the guitar maintaining the melody with the vocals and the drum beat staying the same.

1.45 - The solo is played again by the guitar with a major tone . Melody and drums maintain an upbeat rhythm and vocals halt to enable the guitar melody and solo to lead in. It sounds as if the acoustic guitar playing rhythm with chord strumming in the background throughout the solo. The bass or cello maintains the rhythm with the drum beat and keeps the same song texture.

2.15 – Another verse is played but the melody is dramatically changed with a major sound . Vocals are now more high-pitched with a change in texture and harmony.

2.30 – The last chorus is played the same texture as the previous chorus’s and comes to a slower beat as the song fades in sound to come to an end. The guitar has timbre with a simple note bend at the end of the song.

Folsom Prison Blues

“Hurt” • The original writer and producer for the song was Trent Reznor of Nine Inch

Nails. Although Reznor was apprehensive, his feelings quickly changed when the video for the song was released.

• The song was covered on the Album; “American IV: The Man Comes Around” in 2002.

• The video was directed by Mark Romanek who utilized Cash’s old home in Tennesee. The melancholy chords and dramatic overtone intensifies the feelings of hurt and rendition, not only when watching the video, but when listening to the song. “It was if it was created for Johnny specifically”.

• “I wrote some words and music in my bedroom as a way of staying sane, about a bleak and desperate place I was in, totally isolated and alone. (Somehow) that winds up reinterpreted by a music legend from a radically different era/genre and still retains sincerity and meaning; different, but every bit as pure” – Trent Reznor

• The song was given the “Sing of the Year” award in 2003 and named by Rolling Stone as number 15 of the best 50 songs of the decade.

Johnny Cash – “Hurt”

• 0.00-this song starts out with one guitar starting the melody and rhythm. The guitar is playing single notes mixed with some simple chords follow and continues this melody following into theverse.

• 0.12- at this point the vocals follow in after the guitar starting the verse in a minor sounding tone and a mellow dynamic for the song.

• 0.35- the second verse comes in at this point of the song with the same tone, melody and rhythm with just guitar and vocals maintaining the harmony for the song

• 0.54- the guitar changes into a more major melody as the vocals change in dynamic with the melody to make the chorus with a major sound and the rhythm changes to a more upbeat form with chord strumming throughout the chorus

• 1.17- the chorus changes melody at this point to a major harmony with vocals and the guitar and stops at a pause before the chorus ends and starts the form of the next verse

• 1.36-in the chorus there is a second guitar barely heard in the back that harmonizes with the first guitar playing chords to make the melody. Another verse starts at this point with the same dynamics as the verses before.

• 2.20-atthis point another chorus begins but before it starts there is an electric guitar playing a single note and holding it to follow the harmony and transition to the chorus and the changing melody

• 3.12- the chorus is pro-longed and changes into a more major sounding melody and vocals are more pressing and loud for a more stronger dynamic and feel towards the end of the song and chorus melody continues until the song ends with a chords strummed and held while vocal melody fades out.

    

“I Walk the Line” • Song was written by

Johnny Cash & produced by Sam Phillips

• The song was intended to be a love ballad to his wife, Vivian Lebret , but eventually became the Title to his biopic movie, “Walk the Line” with Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon

• The song is such a cult classic, Los Lonely Boys, Dean Martin, Rodney Crowell, and Leonard Nemoy have all covered the song.

• Chronologically, the song was released by Sun Records shortly after “Folsom Prison Blues”

I Walk The Line-Johnny Cash

• 0.00-at the intro to the song a single guitar starts in with a melody playing single notes with a major dynamic as the drums soon follow halfway into the first measure. The drums start in with a simple rhythm while hitting the snare drum every other beat and riding the hi-hat to go with the melody of the guitar. The vocals soon follow after with a major dynamic with a minor melody within the tone of his voice.

• 0.30- the verse changes a little at this point with the vocal dynamic changing as the vocal melody harmonizes with the guitar and changes into a major sound for the chorus.

• 0.60- at this part of the song it is in a second verse that has the same tone and dynamic as the first verse as it harmonizes with the guitars melody.

• 1.30- the chorus is playing at this point with the same tone and melody as the first chorus as the vocal melody goes into a higher pitch and more major sound and the texture stays the same and timbre is heard within the drums hi hat with an instant pause.

• 2.00- the songs texture stays the same throughout the song and a verse is being played at this point as the songs dynamics change into a softer sound while the tone and melody stays the same as with the vocals, the vocals tone comes down a little as the songs rhythm is played slower to bring the song to an end

“Jackson” • “Jackson” was written by Jerry

Leiber and Billy Edd Wheeler. • It was produced and released in

1963.• The song was written as an

innovative duet in which a couple, with the spark of their marriage being lost, speak of leaving to “Jackson” to feel young again.

• The song was made famous by Johnny Cash and June Carter’s realistic rendition.

• The duet of Johnny & June won a Grammy Award for Best Country & Western Duet in 1968

“Jackson” • 0.00- this song starts out with the guitar, bass, and drums playing. the guitar is playing

notes as another guitar is following with rhythm playing chords. the drums are playing a fast beat and has a faster rhythm following with the bass playing low notes that follow the rhythm of the drums. you can hear timbre being played in the guitar as the guitar is playing notes that have hammer ones and pull offs as it plays a major melody and harmonizes with the vocals that start in soon after first few measures. vocals are harmonizing as there are two singers with different harmonization being played as one vocalist is singing a lower tone with the same melody as the other is singing on a higher tone with the melody as it harmonizes with the first verse.

• 0.30- the chorus starts at this point with a different texture as only one vocalist is singing the chorus with a lower tone along with the same melody being played by the guitar that follows the rhythm of the drums and bass being played. the tone of the song changes into a softer dynamic while the chorus is played.

• 0.30- the second vocalist sings the next verse alone in a higher tone as the guitar keeps the same melody with the vocals and bass and drums maintain the same rhythm.

• 1.00- the seconds chorus starts at this point with second vocalist as the dynamics change when the first vocalist follows and changes the melody of the song as they sing a duet. the vocalist then take turns on lyric lines and change into a minor tone for the end of the chorus.

• 1.35- the third verse is being played and timbre is heard by the vocalist as she sings a stronger tone with vibrato to change the texture of the song.

• 2.01- both vocalist are now singing with a new harmony and melody for a stronger and more major feel to the song as it nears the end while all instruments maintain the same melody and texture as other verses and chorus. both vocalist are singing the chorus with a new tone and texture at a high pitch and a higher toned harmony and follow with a minor sound ending the song while one vocalist umms and both sing into song fades out

“A Boy Named Sue”

• The song was originally written by Shel Silverstein and was released to record by Johnny Cash by Columbia Records on July 26, 1969.

• The story tells a tale of a boy named “sue”, an ultimately female name, by his estranged father.

• The boy eventually becomes the victim of relentless bullying and ends up crossing the paths of his father.

• “A Boy Named Sue” was a single from the “At the San Quentin” album

• It made No. 1 on the Billboard Music Chart from August 23 – September 20, 1969

“ A Boy Named Sue”

•0:00-the song starts out with an acoustic guitar playing some major tone notes with some guitar strumming as well setting the melody for the song. the drums soon follow with a steady rhythm and a beat following the guitar melody. the chello in the back is playing timbre with noticeable bass notes following the drum rhythm. Vocals soon follow with a dynamic and a echo tone on the microphone as Johnny cash vocals lead the texture of this part of the song while the first verse starts. In the first part of the verse there is a timbre sound as there is an audience cheer right after cash finishes the measure of vocal melody as it changes the texture of the song.

•0:30- at this point in the song the second verse as started and guitar melody changes as it timbres with a quick guitar slide with a major sound before cash sings into the second chorus. guitar notes a being played more powerfully for the guitar tone to be noticed and lead. cash's vocal get more powerful as well as a second guitar harmonizes with the acoustic guitar with a new dynamic to the song. the drum beat picks up as well while there is a snare roll and snare drums plays a double measure before the next verse starts. the electric guitar is playing a melody lead with major notes that harmonize with the acoustic guitar keeping the rhythm guitar melody playing.

•1:00- cash vocals mellow down a bit as vocals make more room for the guitar tone to lead the song into a different texture. the drum rhythm picks up stronger as the snare drum starts being played and is played throughout the measure longer than in previous verses and drum beat changes the texture of the song.

•1:30- the song is playing a new verse at this point in the song but is maintaining the same texture and dynamic as the previous verses as it changes into a quick chorus the vocal melody leads over the other tones. Vocal melody picks up really strong at this point as cash vocals get much louder and a lower tone for a different dynamic as vocal melody builds up the song to a much stronger feel.

•2:00-guitar melody harmonizes with the loud vocal tone and then comes to a stop and much more mellow dynamic and the song goes back into the regular texture of the previous verses and starts a new verse towards the end of the song.

•2:30-the song melody stays the same but song dynamic makes more room for the guitar instruments to harmonize and come to a close for the song. and vocals stop at this point as the guitar plays a lead solo over the melody of acoustic guitar and drum beat keeping same rhythm.

•3:30- the song comes to an end as all instruments stop and make room for the vocals to sing a melody lead as guitar plays a lead over vocals after the measure ends and all instruments stop except vocals as cash sings the song to an end with vocal melody and mellow texture right as it changed from a powerful sound and dynamic as the song ends

Works Cited•  • 1). "Johnny Cash." 2011. Biography.com. 27 Jun 2011,

11:09 •

http://www.biography.com/articles/Johnny-Cash-9240610. • 2) Miller, Bill. "Biography." The Official Johnny Cash

Website - JohnnyCash.Com.• TonyB Design, 2009. Web. 20 June 2011.

http://www.johnnycash.com/• • ** Images Courtesy of Wikipedia &

MorrisonHotelGallery.com