Rosanne Cash: Don't speak for Johnny

UPI ^ | Published: Aug. 19, 2008 at 7:42 PM | no byline

[weegee]

NASHVILLE, Aug. 19 (UPI) -- Singer-songwriter Roseanne Cash says she's "appalled" by others invoking the name of her father, music legend Johnny Cash, to "further their own agendas."

Writing on her Web site, Roseanne Cash, a Grammy winner with 11 No. 1 country music singles since 1979, took exception to unnamed people appropriating the memory of her father, who died five years ago. While not singling out anyone in the post, the message came only days after country music superstar John Rich said Johnny Cash would have supported likely Republican U.S. presidential nominee John McCain, The Nashville Tennessean said.

Rich, appearing at recent rally for McCain, reportedly said, "Somebody's got to walk the line in the country. They've got to walk it unapologetically. And I'm sure Johnny Cash would have been a John McCain supporter if he was still around."

Roseanne Cash wrote, "It is appalling to me that people still want to invoke my father's name, five years after his death, to ascribe beliefs, ideals, values and loyalties to him that cannot possibly be determined, and to try to further their own agendas by doing so.

"This is especially dangerous in the case of political affiliation. It is unfair and presumptuous to use him to bolster any platform."

[Maverick68]

I like Rich, but I agree. Don’t try to speak for the dead.

[Anitius Severinus Boethius]

Roseanne is exactly right here.

[businessprofessor]

I like Rich, but I agree. Don’t try to speak for the dead.

If the rats can vote for them, why can't we speak for them?

[TexasNative2000]

J. R. Cash was not a man for whom you could speak.

Dumb move on someone's part.

[weegee]

Rock and Roll PING!

http://rosannecash.com/indexee.php/site/blog/C28/

Rolling Stoned’s toke, er take...
http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2008/08/19/rosanne-cash-tells-john-rich-johnny-cash-would-not-necessarily-have-supported-john-mccain/

Interesting enough, Jann Wenner’s Rolling Stoned MAKES THE SAME FAUX PAS!!! They claim with NO DIRECT QUOTE that Johnny Cash would NOT have supported McCain (headline: “Would Johnny Cash Support John McCain? Rosanne Cash Says No”)

In HER OWN words: “even I would not presume to say publicly what I ‘know’ he thought or felt. This is especially dangerous in the case of political affiliation.”

Time-Lies-Warner is in the tank for Obama.

[OKIEDOC]

Johnny Cash claimed to be a Christian and as such would not approved of a Murderer In Chief in one Obama.

Roseanne needs to put down the bong of indignity that someone would think that a good man would vote Republican.

[Tax-chick]

I agree. That was not good manners.

[dmz]

Johnny Cash claimed to be a Christian and as such would not approved of a Murderer In Chief in one Obama. Roseanne needs to put down the bong of indignity that someone would think that a good man would vote Republican.

Yea, goodness knows that you know Roseanne's father a lot better than she did.

[Liberty Valance]

I agree with Roseanne Cash as well. Johnny Cash was an independent thinker.

[weegee]

There once was a musical troupe,
A pickin’, singin’, folk group.
They sang the mountain ballads,
And the folk songs of our land.
They were long on musical ability,
Folks thought they would go far
But political incompatibility,
Led to their downfall.

Well, the one on the right was on the Left.
And the one in the middle was on the Right.
And the one on the left was in the middle.
And the guy in the rear was a Methodist.

This musical aggregation,
Toured the entire nation.
Singing traditional ballads,
And the folk songs of our land.
They performed with great virtuosity,
And soon they were the rage.
But political animosity,
Prevailed upon the stage,

Well, the one on the right was on the Left.
And the one in the middle was on the Right.
And the one on the left was in the middle.
And the guy in the rear burned his driver's license.

Well, the curtain had ascended,
A hush fell on the crowd.
As thousands there were gathered,
To hear the folk songs of our land.
But they took their politics seriously,
And that night at the concert hall,
As the audience watched deliriously,
They had a free-for-all.

Well, the one on the right was on the bottom.
And the one in the middle was on the top.
And the one on the left got a broken arm.
And the guy on his rear said, “Oh, dear.”

Now this should be a lesson,
If you plan to start a folk group.
Don't go mixin’ politics,
With the folk songs of our land.
Just work on harmony and diction,
Play your banjo well.
And if you have political convictions,
KEEP 'EM TO YOURSELF!

Now, the one on the left works in a bank.
And the one in the middle drives a truck.
The one on the right’s an all-night deejay.
And the guy in the rear got drafted.

THE ONE ON THE RIGHT IS ON THE LEFT
Written by: Jack Clement
Performed by: Johnny Cash
Appears on: Everybody Love a Nut-1966, 20 Foot-Tappin' Greats-1978, Hello, I'm Johnny Cash-1992, The Essential Johnny Cash-2002, Bigger Than Life Collection-2005

[Publius804]

Have you read Roseanne Cash’s blog..she is a big leftist.

Here is a sample:

“I cannot pretend to KNOW the mind of God, or even if there IS a God. There are ‘holy’ books in this world – the Bible, the Koran, the Bhagavad-Gita, the Torah– all written by people. No, let me be more specific: all written by MEN, who comprise only half of the total genders in the world. Doesn’t this all seem just a little…. provincial, if nothing else?” (http://rosannecash.com/indexee.php/site/blog/84/)

I’m not surprised she reacted the way she did. Whether Johnny Cash would have supported McCain or not, he is not here to tell us.

[stainlessbanner]

you see this one?

[weegee]

I don't know if I'd call Johnny Cash an "independent thinker". He was a religious man of faith even if he didn't always live up to the standard he sought.

Also he didn't seem to ascribe to the publicly held Communist views of Woody Guthrie or Pete Seeger either.

[Liberty Valance]

LOL! I remember that well.
Thanks for posting weegee ;o)

[MarkL]

Unfortunately, the vast majority of dead people all vote democrat.

Mark

[weegee]

Johnny wouldn't hold to her view. He was singing Christian songs on tv going back to the Townhall Party days in 1958:

"It Was Jesus"

Live at Town Hall Party 1958

And again in 1959 with "I Was There When It Happened"

Live at Town Hall Party 1959

[pgkdan]

She has a point.

[jtal]

I love Johnny Cash, but who gives a flip whom he would / would not vote for?

I’ll never understand the tendency to “invest” wisdom (political or otherwise) into our entertainers.

[Publius804]

Yes but think about the lyrics to “Man in Black” - you can hardly classify those in once camp or another. I think it is difficult to say where Johnny Cash would stand.