Citizen Cash: The Political Life and Times of Johnny Cash

April 2, 2022 2:16pm

Johnny Cash was one of the best-selling musicians of all time. He was a very talented artist and a complex man. He was raised in poverty on a farm in Arkansas. As an adult, he was an Air Force veteran, a gospel singer, a womanizer, a drug addict, and an adulterer who, in a beautiful almost Prodigal Son fashion, redeemed himself in the end.

He'd never been imprisoned for his crimes, but he had empathy for prisoners. He wasn't a Native American whose land had been stolen, but he had empathy for the Indians. He never suffered from racism, but he had empathy for those who did. He was a political activist who both sides claimed as an ally. His crossover appeal earned him inductions into the Country Music, Gospel Music, Nashville Songwriters, and Rock & Roll Halls of Fame.

On today's radio program, I interviewed Michael Stewart Foley about his book "Citizen Cash: The Political Life and Times of Johnny Cash." That episode is now archived online as a podcast at www.TheMikeBatesShow.com/podcasts/220402

If you're a fan of The Man in Black, you'll want to listen to our interview and read his book. The book is available online at www.amazon.com/Citizen-Cash-Political-Times-Johnny/dp/1541699572