Opinion

A life with no Cash

Mourning the 'Man In Black'

By Marshall Dury

Posted on Sept. 15, 2003, at 12:00 a.m.

The world of entertainment received a double blow to the gut as the deaths of John Ritter and Johnny Cash gripped the hearts of some people this past Friday morning. John Ritter was a great actor and I can’t tell you how many times I remember the song for “Three’s Company” ringing in my head as a young child.

For me, the loss of Johnny Cash is more of a swan song for what rock ‘n roll never has been since he stepped on to the scene. Any well-versed music fan knows the history. From a small town in Arkansas, he would spend his days singing to himself while picking in his father’s cotton fields. He worked his way up through the country music scene and eventually found a niche in the eloquently dubbed “cross-over” section of country and rock.

Something rings painfully inside my bones, though, knowing that Cash was only 71 years old when he died. Sure, the early days of drug abuse and alcohol consumption were catching up with him, but I feel like his life was marred with depression and emptiness after the loss of his wife June Carter just six months ago.

From the man who sang about drunks, prisoners and life in the country, his personal ailments seemed to be too much to handle with the loss of his wife. Cash was no stranger to pain though. At the age of 12, Cash’s 14-year-old brother, Jack, died in an accident at home, and Cash always paid homage to his brother for giving his music the emotional twist to which so many people became accustomed.

But the question remains: Why mourn the death of man we didn’t know – someone who lived the dream and is now being immortalized for his inability to get over the hump of losing a spouse?

For those of you who have those questions, I can only offer you the musical facts and hope that they can prove how his music moved people. Cash recorded more than 1,500 songs and his record career spanned over 4 decades. I’m no math major, but I can tell you with near certainty that no modern artist may see such success. Cash’s cultural icon status is only validated by the way he used to greet his fans at concerts: “Hi, I’m Johnny Cash.”

Cash’s art form was, for once, more about who he was as a person rather than rolling in millions of dollars or getting his face on television – something we see much too often from modern day residents of Hollywood. Cash was humble and America doesn’t seem to be interested in producing anymore likable and honest people in the entertainment industry. We may have seen the passing of a dying breed and sadly, Cash may have taken the truth and honesty of rock ‘n roll to his grave with him.

This past August, Cash was nominated for the best video of the year for a remake of the Nine Inch Nails song “Hurt.” Coupled with famed rock and rap producer Rick Rubin, it’s no wonder the song became a testament to Cash’s staying power in the music industry. At the very least, it showed people that his heart could still sing and play guitar, despite his personal losses. The video, directed by Mark Romanek, seems to be an elegy to himself in the few short months he had left. It is a must see for any fan of art, music, or if you just don’t plain know what Cash was about.

Marshall Dury is a senior English major.

This entry was posted on Monday, September 15th, 2003, 12:00 am. You can follow any responses to this article through the RSS feed.