CASH: The Autobiography—The Basis for the Biopic 'Walk the Line,' in Theaters Friday

by Johnny Cash ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 1, 1997

The Man in Black (1986), but a life so chock full of oddments (he once started a forest fire with an automobile and on another occasion was nearly disemboweled by an ostrich) and renegade stands (he opposed Vietnam, heresy to the nation's blue-collar constituency) easily merits a second look. Organized around the domiciles where he divides his time—homes in Tennessee, Florida, and Jamaica, as well as his tour bus—the book stays grounded in the present, mixing reflections on his 40-year career with a running chronicle of an ongoing tour. This novel approach minimizes the as-told-to blahs that plague many a celebrity autobiography and highlights Cash's wry humor and introspection. With the help of Carr, editor of Country Music magazine, Cash keeps the pace lively until the end, when the roses he throws everyone from grandkids to music biz buddies bog things down. Mostly, though, a pungent, substantive autobiography from one the most iconoclastic talents on the American music scene.

Pub Date: Nov. 1, 1997

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 310

Publisher: HarperSanFrancisco

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2005

Categories: NONFICTION