Johnny Cash's Posthumous Album Hits No. 1

AP via WaPost ^ | 7/12/06 | staff

[pissant]

NEW YORK -- He died nearly three years ago but Johnny Cash is back at the top of the charts _ for the first time in 37 years.

The accomplishment, though, is muted slightly:

"American V: A Hundred Highways," a compilation of recordings by the Man in Black, reached No. 1 on Billboard's Top 200 albums chart with a record-low sales figure for a first-place debut, 88,000 units, according to the Web site billboardradiomonitor.com.

The disc is Cash's first No. 1 album since 1969's "Johnny Cash at San Quentin."

It also tops Billboard's country-albums chart, pushing the Dixie Chicks' "Taking the Long Way" to second place.

Cash died of complications from diabetes on Sept. 12, 2003, at age 71. June Carter, his wife of 35 years, died in May of the same year.

[pissant]

I thought it was just another collection of previously released material, so I was going to skip this one. But I might not be correct about that.

[pissant]

All the Highwaymen stuff is pretty good. Though I'm not much of a Willie Nelson fan.

[dfwgator]

But only a very, very, few can play and sing new music that the fans want to listen to.

Amen, that's why Jimi will always be the greatest rock guitarist ever, he did it first.

[Skooz]

I just bought it but have yet to listen.

I have all the other American recordings and I will buy all the future releases. They are classic.

Johnny Cash was, and will forever remain, The Man.

[pissant]

My favorite:

I walked through a county courthouse square,
On a park bench an old man was sitting there.
I said, "Your old courthouse is kinda run down."
He said, "Naw, it'll do for our little town."
I said, "Your flagpole has leaned a little bit,
And that's a Ragged Old Flag you got hanging on it.
He said, "Have a seat", and I sat down.
"Is this the first time you've been to our little town?"
I said, "I think it is." He said, "I don't like to brag,
But we're kinda proud of that Ragged Old Flag."

"You see, we got a little hole in that flag there
When Washington took it across the Delaware.
And it got powder-burned the night Francis Scott Key
Sat watching it writing _Oh Say Can You See_.
And it got a bad rip in New Orleans
With Packingham and Jackson tuggin' at its seams."

"And it almost fell at the Alamo"
Beside the Texas flag, but she waved on through.
She got cut with a sword at Chancellorsville
And she got cut again at Shiloh Hill.
There was Robert E. Lee, Beauregard, and Bragg,
And the south wind blew hard on that Ragged Old Flag."

"On Flanders Field in World War I
She got a big hole from a Bertha gun.
She turned blood red in World War II
She hung limp and low by the time it was through.
She was in Korea and Vietnam.
She went where she was sent by her Uncle Sam."

"She waved from our ships upon the briny foam,
And now they've about quit waving her back here at home.
In her own good land she's been abused --
She's been burned, dishonored, denied and refused."

"And the government for which she stands
Is scandalized throughout the land.
And she's getting threadbare and wearing thin,
But she's in good shape for the shape she's in.
Cause she's been through the fire before
And I believe she can take a whole lot more."

"So we raise her up every morning, Take her down every night.
We don't let her touch the ground And we fold her up right.
On second thought I DO like to brag,
'Cause I'm mighty proud of that Ragged Old Flag."

[Common Tator]

It was in the very early 1960s. I had worked a gig on the north side of Columbus, Ohio. The other band members went home. I went to Hank Newman's resturant on the east side of Columbus.

Hank and his brothers had been a popular country music band in the 1930s and 1940s. Hank had retired from playing and opened a restuarant. On Saturday nights he would close the Restuarant at 11:00PM Then open again at about 12:30Am for musicians only.

There was just two rules you had to be a musician to get in and you had to play or sing a tune before you left.

I had worked an early club date and got to Hanks about 1:30AM. I was among the first to arrive and Hank sat me in a booth by myself. By about 2:20Am the place was getting packed So Hank came over and asked if he could seat some people with me. I said sure.

When I looked up Hank was seating Willie Nelson and Shirley Collie at my booth. Willie had written some hit songs but had not recorded anything approaching a hit yet. Hank introduced me to Willie and said.. "Be very nice to Ray.. Willie. He is the only disk jockey in the world that plays your records."

Willie did a double take before he sat down. Shirley broke up laughing. Willie had opened for Earnest Tubb that night at Vets Memorial. They were playing Portsmouth, Ohio on sunday night. Earnest and the Troubadors had gone on to Portsmouth and Willie and Shirley were staying at Hanks house. Shirley looked like one wild kitten. Willie looked like he had more than he could handle.

[Rocko]

Does this new CD have previously unreleased tunes?

Yes, all of them, recorded at the end of his life. One original Cash song and the rest are covers. The finest, in my opinion is Hank Williams' "On the Evening Train." An incredible performance and song.

[Tax-chick]

I'll check it out from the library first, if possible, and look into the song list. I don't have Johnny Cash's old songs on CD, so if it's "classics" redone, that's okay with me.

[pissant]

Good story. It must be fun to reminise about these old time country stars. Kudos to you for a fine career in the field.

Was this Shirley Collie the gal who rolled up a drunk Willie nelson in a rug and beat the crap out of him?

[pissant]

Thanks Rocko. Tax chick, see Rockos previous post. I guess its all newer stuff.

[Tax-chick]

Thanks for the info!

[Common Tator]

Was this Shirley Collie the gal who rolled up a drunk Willie nelson in a rug and beat the crap out of him?

Shirley Collie was the wife of Biff Collie who was the number one country Disk Jockey on KFOX in Long Beach. It was one of the first power house Country radio stations.

Shirley wanted to record so Biff got her a recording contract on Frank Sinatra's Liberty Records. They came to Nashville to record. Willie was writing for Pamper music and Shirley went in to choose some songs. She took one look at Willie and Biff returned to California alone.

Willie and Shirley were later married. Willie came home one night and passed out drunk on the living room floor. Shirley wrapped him up in the bed spread and sewed it shut with Willie's fishing line And left him there for a couple of days.

Did you ever try to break out of something sewed tight with 100 lb test line?

Willie used it as an idea to write a song called Charlies shoes. The lyrics were

I'd like to be in Charlies shoes
that what I always said
Cause he had you and everything
Tied with a golden thread
Then charlie left and went away
And when I got the news
It wasn't long 'till I was walkin round
In charlie's shoes.

Now I'm wearing out the shoes that Charlie wore
Pacing up and down across the floor
The troubles that drove him away
I've got for company
These nights in Charlies Shoes are killin' me

Shirley was th inspiration for a number of Willie's songs. Funny How time Slips Away was another.