Johnny Cash - 1932-2003.

I discovered Johnny Cash relatively late in his life, my first introduction being in 1991, when he sung with a punk band called One Bad Pig on a cover of 'Man in Black'. I thought that was pretty cool, although I didn't care much for country music at the time and associated 'Johnny Cash' with all the other old musicians my mom listened to.

My second encounter with Johnny Cash's music happened in 1993, by way of U2's album Zooropa, when he sang with Bono on "The Wanderer", a truly amazing and deeply spiritual song. And he kept re-appearing after that. In the summer of 1994 I recall browsing a friend's record collection and discovering his American Recordings, which stood out in sharp contrast to the rest of his albums (we listened to Slayer, Scorn, Godflesh, The Melvins). But in a way, it kind of made sense. Cash was hard and gritty and real as they came -- and one couldn't help but be impressed by his cover of Danzig's 'Thirteen' (or his subsequent cover of Soundgarden's "Rusty Cage".

A little while afterwards I started listening to his country albums, bought Live at Fulsom Prison and enjoyed his " God, Love, Murder collection, hand-picked by Cash himself.

As he said in the liner notes for American III: "On the question of youth and old age, I wouldn't trade my future for any one's I know . . . The Master of Life's been good to me. . . . Life and love go on. Let the music play."

I'm just a poor wayfaring stranger, traveling through this world below. There's no sickness, no, toil, nor danger in that bright land to which I go. I'm going there to see my Father and all my loved ones who've gone home. I'm just going over Jordan, I'm just going over home. I know dark clouds will gather 'round me, I know my way is hard and steep. But beauteous fields arise before me, where God's redeemed their vigils keep. I'm going there to see my mother, she said she'd meet me when I come. So I'm just going over Jordan, I'm just going over home. I'm just going over Jordan, I'm just going over home. Johnny Cash. 1932-2003