Customer Reviews

Cash: The Autobiography

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Johnny Cash is a legend. That is why he deserves the most wonderful and amazing tribute as one of the greatest legends of our time. He was a unique caliber, one of the last of his type. Johnny cash is everything and more. In this book, we get to know of his love, pains, strengths, weaknesses and his inner faith that never died. He was country music's legendary Man in Black, the symbol of all that is good about the music.
Also recommended: DISCIPLES OF FORTUNE, MY LIFE

Johnny Cash or the "Man in Black" was one of the most influential artists, period. He is the only musician in history to be inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriter's Country Music. His second autobiography gives you an in depth look at his start at Sun Records and being on the road with other legends like Elvis and Jerry Lee Lewis, the tragic death of his older brother Jack when Cash was only twelve, and living on Cinnamon Hill in Jamaica.
My favorite thing about Cash's book was the beginning when he talked about his humble beginnings in Arkansas picking cotton with his family, and his spiritual journey which saved him from his addiction to amphetamines early in his career. His autobiography shows you all the sides to the "man in black" good and bad, from his attempt to kill himself to being robbed on Christmas Day on Cinnamon Hill in Jamaica. He was a true artist who didn't stop growing musically even in his last months.
It's unlikely you'll find anything to not like about this book. With his tragic death last year his autobiography is a great way to remember the man in black; it gives you a greater appreciation for what he did for music. When I first began reading this book I didn't know much about his early life or career and soon I couldn't put it down. The book helps give you a better perspective on the man who broke all the rules with no apologies. With the help of Patrick Carr, Cash tells you his story as if he's right there telling it to you personally, intermingling life on the road and the loss of family and friends along the way. Cash's influence on music will be felt by everyone for decades to come.

I was a fan of Johnny Cash's music long before I became a fan of the man behind the deep, stirring voice!

I like country/Western musics and ballads of the type for which Johnny Cash became famous. Most of them are toe-tapping energy boosters, while some of the ballads make me weep. He had a good voice, but more than that he had a good soul and a deep love for humanity.

He was just a common, ordinary, everyday man--a good old country boy--with a strong voice and oodles of charisma ... a man who never forgot his roots. And that's what the public adored in him. That's what I adored in him.

He and his wife, June Carter Cash, were one of the great love stories of the twentieth century. They were "precious" together. She was the best thing that ever happened to him ... and vice versa. It was obvious they were soulmates and very much in love. Sure, they had their ups and downs, but they stuck together through thick and thin.

And when they sang together, it was pure magic. Who could ever forget their recording of "I'm Going to Jackson" and many others. Johnny had numerous unforgettable solos that were just his own, too, like "I'll Walk the LIne," and "A Boy Named Sue." These might not be his biggest hits, but they're the ones that come most readily to mind.

This is a good read, with the great "Man in Black" telling some new stories that fans may not have heard before. As he told the stories, I felt as though he were sitting in my living room. He's that natural!

And the movie about him, starring Joaquin Phoenix, is fantastic. Amazing how the make-up artists made him look so much like our beloved Johnny.

Rest in peace, "old friend." May your music woo the angels.

Cash was even larger than the life he led.I saw him live several times over his long career .The first time in Montreal with the Statler Brothers in 69;as well as numerous times on TV.The one thing I found was that he remained the same person throughout those years.As much as you thought you knew about him,there was always something new to learn.He was not one to think he was better than someone else.Despite his greatness,he possessed even greater humility ;particularly to his God,his family and to everything around him.This book really shows how much he loved everything;be it his faith,family,June,band members,homes,books,music,fishing,Rover,being on the road and with his fans or even his time alone ;these things meant so much to him,but in the end he always knew everything was temporary and none of all this swallowed him up.He believed ,that as much as he was given in this life,there was much more waiting for him in eternity.It's often said that it must be hard for the rich and famous to die and leave it all behind.Cash would not have subscribed to that thinking.This is why his fans always felt he gave them so much and why they loved him so much.
Cash was one of the icons of the music world,and one of my favorites.I just wish I had the opportunity to thank him in person;but I know what he would have said."You are very welcome,I'm glad you enjoyed it and the pleasure was all mine"
Sure we'll all miss him,we had him for a long time,but he gave us so much and thanks to all his recordings,we still can listen to his songs.The photo on the back of the book,showing him dressed in black,walking away with his guitar,tells it all.He came,he gave it his all,now he's gone.
Thanks,John,we're going to miss you.
I highly recommend this book,no matter how much you know about Cash.Reading it was like a short visit with him.

If you like the Man in Black, you'll like this book. That's it, simple as that. It seems almost stream of consciousness in places, like you're on his porch with him and he's just telling you stories. Nothing earth-shattering, but some words of wisdom and no apologies.

Johnny Cash was timeless. You always remembered where you were when you heard a Johnny Cash song for the first time. One warm spring day in late May, I drove 180 miles across East Texas (from Nacogdoches to Dallas) in one morning, surrounded by tall, tall trees, and towns with names like Gun Barrel City. The only three minutes of that drive I can still recall are the final three minutes of "One Piece at a Time", which played on AM radio and which I'd never heard before. It's a comical story song, but I was sitting there behind the wheel, really curious to find out if this guy was ever going to build his Cadillac. I've since heard the song at least a hundred times.

No, this didn't happen decades ago. I made that drive in May 2003.

The thing is, you could always discover Johnny Cash. For example, the only visit I've ever made to an adult toy store in my life was brightened by the sounds of the Johnny Cash box set emanating from the store speakers. I picked up his "American IV: The Man Comes Around" album just a week before he died, and was captivated equally by his old, defiant Westerns ("Sam Hall") and the thoughtful, late November covers by non-country artists ("Hurt", "In My Life"). The punchline of the album, though, was the final track: "We'll Meet Again".

"Cash: The Autobiography" is an audiobook in print. The Man narrates scenes from his life as he's writing (1996-1997): a concert in Santa Cruz, trying out his cover of Soundgarden's "Rusty Cage"; afternoons at his homes in Tennessee, Florida and Jamaica; and cruising for Walmarts in rural Wisconsin.

Interspersed with those snapshots are the longer reminiscences of the people, places and songs in his life. These stories are told in no set order, but they're a good source of the anecdotes that are the raison d'etre of celeb bios. Cash spends a lot of time on the birth of rockabilly at Sun Records in Memphis; a lot more time on his battles with amphetamine addictions and rehab; a discussion of the significance of religion in his life (watch for the story about the boy in the church on Central Park South in New York City) and cataloguing his friendships with rock and country icons alike.

This all came out in 1997. One could be forgiven for hanging up his guitar at age 65. Cash, however, burned across the music scene right up through his final months. So "Cash: The Autobiography" is far from a final chapter. The video for "Hurt" is a fitting postscript, with its ghostly cameo by June Carter, and its black-and-white footage of Cash's boyhood home in Dyess, Arkansas.

Johnny Cash truly was all things to all people. This book is not ideal as an introduction to his legacy -- you'll need to know his songs before he talks about them -- but it's certainly a good representation of what he was about. And he was about... everything.

Johnny Cash had a profound impact on the American music scene, and much of that was due to his 1990s revival via his four American Recordings albums. This is a simplistic, downhome bio of Americana's Johnny, and though it's not sparkling in form, prose, or organization, it comes straight from Johnny's heart. It's well worth reading if you want to know a little more about how the man views life and learning.

It's not the most *interesting* bio, but it's a look-see into his soul. He's simple, he's straightforward, and he's honest, though he's not too giving of all the details. Hence his lack of candor. One thing you do grab from this is how Johnny and June were soulmates, how they shared life's best and worst moments, and how Johnny knows and understands any mistakes he's made there. Thankfully, he doesn't practice victimology and blame the rest of the world for his problems. Instead, he tells us he looks to God for guidance.

He tells the reader a few stories that will be new to them, in regards to his life of celebrity. Other than that, this is not a summarization of all that he's done or where he's been, but instead, it's a small window through which he viewed life and its assorted players. Read it if you are really interested in Johnny Cash.

I read this book two years ago, and couldn't put it down. When I reread it following Mr. Cash's death, I still couldn't put it down. Other reviewers have claimed that the book "lacked candor" and was not "even remotely interesting," but this is far from the truth. Cash paints vivid pictures of the stages of his life, and tells fascinating anecdotes to go along with them. The reader will learn a variety of things about the man and his life - from the various grades of cotton, to his high school crush on Grand Ole Opry star June Carter, to the history behind his many homes (including one with Yankee soldiers buried under the driveway) - and these are just the little things. He relates all the stories of his life with honesty, spirituality, and - oftentimes - humor. The book will probably surprise readers unfamiliar with Cash, for it proves him to be a very deep, spiritual, and intelligent man.

Some readers are not satisfied with the time he focused on his drug addiction. Cash gave that part of his life the time it was due - no more, no less. He spends more time on the topic in his earlier autobiography, "Man in Black." By 1997, his life was far more than a recent recovery from these demons. And the reader who said that Johnny Cash never had an affair needs to read the book a little closer...

If you are familiar with Cash's speaking voice, it should be easy for you to hear him reading the book aloud in your mind. That is the way the text goes along - like a conversation (albeit one-sided), with the same brief tangents you would expect if you were just sitting and talking to the man. The telling of events follows no strict timeline, which - though potentially a little frustrating at first - leaves you feeling very satisfied and as if you got to know the man by the end. There is a new book about Johnny Cash coming out this year. Though it may be an interesting read, THIS is the definitive word on J.R. Cash.

I bought the book mostly out of curiosity about the "Man in Black" as he was always known to me. I grew up listening to Johnny's music, but in my teens, went my own way into the realm of heavy metal and other types of rock music. I came back to country music in my 30's and realized that the artists there really aren't much different from those I idolized as a teen...that's to say they all have their demons. Johnny Cash was one of those country singers that made quite an impression on me as a kid...I don't really know what it was about him, but I always liked and remembered his music and songs. This book brought it all together for me in the sense that he is very upfront about his particular demons and the fact that even as a man in his late 60's(his age when he wrote this book)he still faced down his demons every waking day. Johnny Cash lived a hard life and he tells his life in this book. The Man in Black will be sorely missed in the anals of the music world, as well as in the hearts of those who loved & admired him!

Johnny was very candid and open in discussing his roots and the paths he crossed with other notable popular figures of historical relevance. His childhood mirrored that of Tom Joad's yet he was guided out of the obscurity of the cotton fields to fame by his talented voice and love of music. This book really opened my eyes to the genuine nature of Johnny Cash, a man who has lived a life without boundries and crossed over into a variety of diverse cultures and genres. Through the shameful dark times to the triumphant glory of the good times, this is one autobiography that I will no doubt read again.

He wrote this book as an old man reflecting on the life experiences that molded his persona. From it there are stories, lessons, and an understanding of Cash's openminded outlook on life. You can fall or fail but you can also recover and triumph on your own terms.