From Publishers Weekly
In one of many books coming out this year commemorating the "Man in Black," Miller, a longtime friend of Cash, offers this slim coffee-table-size scrapbook of photos and memorabilia of the legendary country singer. "He was my hero, my mentor, the godfather of my youngest son," Miller begins his introductory essay, which tells how he came to know Cash. Candid pictures are interspersed with photos of concert tickets, Cash’s Air Force uniform, album jackets, stills from live performances, and several with Miller throughout the years. He includes Cash’s handwritten lyric sheets, such as "Folsom Prison Blues" (over which Cash has outlined his hand), but items that stand out are a transcript of his last interview before he died (with Kurt Loder) and the poem he wrote longhand after June Carter Cash’s funeral. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Cash: An American Man SYNOPSIS
Singer. Songwriter. With an unmistakable voice that resonates with millions,
lyrics that speak volumes in the span of three minutes, and a career that lasted
nearly five decades, Johnny Cash was peerless in his style and had a vast
influence on country, folk, and rock music.
The legendary "Man in Black" (who originally wanted to be a gospel singer)
wrote his first hit record for Sam Phillips at Sun Records in the 1950s...and in
2003 turned a Nine Inch Nails song into one of the most deeply moving music
videos ever created. A man of uncommon grace and innate goodness, Johnny Cash
plied his gifts, fought his demons, and lived a life that was his alone --
enjoying one of the great love stories of the century with his wife, June, while
somehow managing to leave a little of himself with people all over the world.
In Cash: An American Man, fans of his music are now given a unique
and personal glimpse into his life through hundreds of photographs, private
letters, handwritten lyrics, his final interview given just three weeks before
his death, and other astonishing memorabilia -- a one-of-a-kind collection fully
authorized by the Johnny Cash Estate and created in cooperation with his friend,
confidant, and lifelong fan, Bill Miller. Lavishly illustrated and designed by
the award-winning team at Rare Air Media, Cash: An American Man is sure to be
one of the most talked-about books of the year, and the ultimate tribute to one
of the music's most enduring figures.
FROM THE CRITICS
Library Journal
Two more Johnny Cash tribute books have surfaced. Adding to their series on recently deceased music icons, the editors of Rolling Stone have repackaged two interviews, articles by cofounder Ralph Gleason, excerpts from Cash's two autobiographies, tributes to Cash from other rock luminaries, and articles by well-known rock journalists Robert Hilburn and Steve Pond. They also produce some new material, including a substantive recap of Cash's career, articles about his Sun Records days and his 1990s comeback, an annotated discography, and a somewhat misplaced interview with producer Rick Rubin. They nestle this text among 150 intriguing black-and-white photos. Miller, who administers the official Cash web site, has published four-color photos of his extensive Cash memorabilia collection, much of it given to him by the Man in Black himself. He has some fascinating pictures, some of which exemplify Cash's penchant for collecting Roman coins and presidential letters. Other, less-compelling photos picture dozens of Johnny Cash's canceled checks and pages of handwritten lyrics. Super-fan Miller also includes a revealing last interview of Cash, conducted by MTV's Kurt Loder. Unlike the Rolling Stone tribute, which concentrates on Cash's musical career, offering a creditable survey, Miller's book provides insight into Cash's character and adds a human touch missing from many other music books. Though neither book will become a standard, both are interesting if not essential for music buffs.-Dave Szatmary, Univ. of Washington, Seattle Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
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