Johnny Cash, «Life in Letters»

About the book

Twenty years after his death, the first anthology of his songs is finally published: the life of “The Man in Black” revealed through his lyrics, with previously unpublished photographs from the family archive and countless curiosities contributed by acquaintances, friends and family, in an illustrated edition authorized by the artist’s family.

“There is perhaps no better way to know my father than through his writings,” says John Carter Cash. «Whether it is the songs that he recorded, his poetry or all the material that was not published during the artist’s lifetime; He poured his heart, his mind and his spirit into everything he wrote. “I am excited about the publication of this book and about honoring his genius and his life by focusing on the opportunity to publicize the most important part of his life’s work: his lyrics.”

Revered by his contemporaries (from Elvis to Bob Dylan) and considered the custodian of the essences of Southern country and folk, Johnny Cash is one of the most respected and influential stars of all time, having composed more than 600 songs and sold more than 90 million records. Throughout his career, he has received twenty-nine gold, platinum and multi-platinum records, and has left his mark in the Grammy Hall of Fame, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the Country Music and the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

This is the first anthology that covers fifty years of career with the lyrics of 125 songs and the stories that inspired them. More than any other American artist, Cash spoke to the soul of the nation, while also chronicling his own life and tribulations. A period document of great value that brings us closer to the man and the artist, as well as to the history of the United States that he himself and country helped to forge.

Interweaving the adventures and misfortunes of the bard with the stories of his own songs is a formula unparalleled in the genre and perhaps more revealing than anything he agreed to share in his own memoirs.

This exquisite anthology in a bilingual edition – with QR enabled for this purpose next to the title of each song – is an essential collector’s item for any self-respecting fan. Sheds new light on Cash’s life and work, including unpublished photographic material, facsimile reproductions of the song manuscripts, in an annotated and annotated edition by the
artist’s son: John Carter Cash

JOHNNY CASH (1932-2003) American singer and songwriter who remains one of the best-selling music artists of all time. He owes much of his fame to his ability to combine in his compositions the great traditions of the country’s popular music: country, rock, blues and gospel, illuminating, in turn, the start of the subgenre scene. As the countrypolitan and the outlaw countryCash was also an actor, writer and activist. He spent much of his life contributing to the cause of SOS Children’s Villages, a non-profit organisation that advocates for help to children in need; this initiative led to the creation of the Johnny Cash Memorial Fund in order to continue, after his death, the legacy of his humanitarian actions on various fronts.

JOHN CARTER CASH He is the only son of Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash. He has produced five Grammy Award-winning albums and owns and operates Cash Cabin Studio in Tennessee. He is also the author of House of Cash: The Legacies of My Father, Johnny Cash.

MARK STIELPER has chronicled and sung about the life of “The Man in Black” for nearly forty years, contributing to a dozen Cash biographies and documentaries and giving lectures at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, The Country Music Hall of Fame and the Cash Museum. Johnny Cash himself called Stielper “my friend, the family historian” and said, “He knows more about me than I do.”

John Carter Cash and Mark Stielper trace the bard’s story from his origins in rural Arkansas to his first recordings with Sun Records; from his battles with drug addiction and divorce to his romance with June Carter; and from his commercial musical successes, such as “At Folsom Prison” and “American Recordings,” to his death and legacy. Ideal for anyone who wishes to understand and delve into the meaning of the bard’s adventures through his own compositions.