Johnny Cash (1932-2003) is an American music legend with a career spanning nearly 50 years. His longevity and chart-topping hits made Cash a household name and in 2021, Act 916 passed the Arkansas General Assembly and was signed into law, declaring Feb. 26 Johnny Cash Day. On what would have been his 93rd birthday, Arkansas PBS celebrates Johnny Cash Day with fans and music experts from around the state who share their thoughts on the Man in Black.
Not only is Arkansas PBS delighted to observe Johnny Cash Day, but we also are pleased to announce “Unveiled: Daisy Bates and Johnny Cash” – an original documentary from Arkansas PBS and award-winning filmmaker Nathan Willis. The film explores the creation and installation of Arkansas’s newest statues in the U.S. Capitol’s National Statuary Hall and the U.S. Capitol Emancipation Hall and the enduring legacies of two of the state’s most iconic figures. The documentary will premiere Thursday, March 20, at 7 p.m. on Arkansas PBS, at myarpbs.org/live and in the PBS App. If you’d like a sneak peek at the documentary, join us Wednesday, March 19, at 7 p.m. at Robinson Center, 426 W Markham, Little Rock.
The Making of a Legend
According to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas, Cash was born in Kingsland, Arkansas, in 1932, Cash grew up in Dyess where he developed a love of music and singing. After graduating from Dyess High School in 1950, he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and received an honorable discharge in 1954. Cash married his first wife, Vivian Liberto, and then settled in Memphis, Tennessee, where he auditioned for Sam Phillips – founder of Sun Records.
After he released “Folsom Prison Blues” and “I Walk the Line,” Cash established himself as a rising star, signing a contract with Columbia Records in 1957. After a decade of touring all over the world, he met June Carter in the early 1960s and married her in 1968. In 1980, Cash became the youngest person ever elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame. During the 1990s, he was the recipient of many honors, including the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992, the Kennedy Center Honors for Lifetime Contribution to American Culture in 1996 and the Arkansas Entertainers Hall of Fame in 1996.
Cash continued to release music, wrote books and produced films until his death on Sept. 12, 2003 – nearly four months after June Carter died.
Cash continues to inspire people around the world. In 2011, Arkansas State University bought Cash’s boyhood home and restored it as a museum, opening it to the public in 2014.
Honoring a Legend
Arkansas State Assistant Director of Heritage Sites Penny Toombs said the experiences Cash had in Dyess inspired several songs.
“Songs such as ‘Pickin' Time’ and ‘Five Feet High’ and ‘Rising’ were based on his childhood in Dyess,” she said. “He came back to visit his childhood home in 1968.”
Arkansas Country Music Awards Vice President Charles Haymes said, “You can’t talk about Arkansas country music without talking about Johnny Cash.”
KASU Program Director Marty Scarbrough agreed with those sentiments.
“No words can fully describe the impact that Johnny Cash has had on American music, not just in country but in rock and roll, gospel, rockabilly and so many other musical styles,” he said.
Haymes said Cash was larger than life for a lot of people.
“Worldwide, he might be the most famous Arkansan,” Haymes said. “He was The Man in Black. He was for everybody: the marginalized, the poor. Songs that reflected the good and the bad of growing up here in Arkansas. It’s not just country [music]. He extends beyond that.”
Haymes encourages people to honor Johnny Cash Day by listening to Cash’s early records.
“He wasn’t quite a star at that time,” he said. “I can guarantee you with every album, there are songs on there that you can relate to. A lot of his songs, even a lot of country stuff, would have gospel overtones. That’s his upbringing. My favorite Johnny Cash song is ‘I Still Miss Someone.’ Whether that’s the one I start with or not, I don’t know. But, I will listen to it.”
HOW TO WATCH
“Unveiled: Daisy Bates and Johnny Cash” will premiere Thursday, March 20, at 7 p.m. on Arkansas PBS, at myarpbs.org/live and in the PBS App.
PREVIEW SCREENING AND DISCUSSION
A free advance screening of the film will be held Wednesday, March 19, at 7 p.m. at Robinson Center, 426 W Markham, Little Rock. Registration is free, but required.