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Title details for Citizen Cash by Michael Stewart Foley - Wait list

Citizen Cash

The Political Life and Times of Johnny Cash

by Michael Stewart Foley
Greg Littlefield
Audiobook
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A leading historian argues that Johnny Cash was the most important political artist of his time

Johnny Cash was an American icon, known for his level, bass-baritone voice and somber demeanor, and for huge hits like "Ring of Fire" and "I Walk the Line." But he was also the most prominent political artist in the United States, even if he wasn't recognized for it in his own lifetime, or since his death in 2003.

Then and now, people have misread Cash's politics, usually accepting the idea of him as a "walking contradiction." Cash didn't fit into easy political categories—liberal or conservative, Republican or Democrat, hawk or dove. Like most people, Cash's politics were remarkably consistent in that they were based not on ideology or scripts but on empathy—emotion, instinct, and identification.

Drawing on untapped archives and new research on social movements and grassroots activism, Citizen Cash offers a major reassessment of a legendary figure.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    December 7, 2021

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781668604151
      • File size: 322473 KB
      • Duration: 11:11:49

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Cultural historian Michael Stewart Foley employed previously unavailable archives and research to examine the life, politics, and multiple cultural personas of entertainer Johnny Cash, who died in 2003. The author sensitively, carefully, and tenderly sets the tone and scope of the work by narrating the lengthy introduction. Sadly, the microphone is then handed to Greg Littlefield, who uses the stereotypical news anchor's distant, controlled style. At various moments, listeners may think they left the radio on across the room. Had Foley narrated the entire work, this thoughtful and intelligent look at the "Man in Black" would have been vastly improved. W.A.G. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
    • Kirkus

      Starred review from November 1, 2021
      Rather than a conventional biography, cultural historian Foley digs deep into the political views of the iconic musician. Johnny Cash (1932-2003) rarely shied away from discussing politics. In fact, he devoted much of his musical career to spotlighting issues faced by minorities and other groups that he felt were underrepresented. However, as the author demonstrates, Cash was often misunderstood. At times, his views appeared incongruent to members of his audience, such as when he paid tribute to Confederate soldiers and endorsed equality for Black Americans in the same episode of his eponymous show or when he publicly expressed support for Nixon's handling of Vietnam while at the same time calling for peace. In this deeply researched, unique examination, Foley looks at the many reasons Cash was drawn to particular issues: Cash "rarely took 'stands' on political issues in conventional ways; instead, he approached each issue based on feeling." Cash released several concept albums that largely focused on marginalized groups--e.g., Bitter Tears: Ballads of the American Indian. Since his youth, he had been told that his ancestry included Cherokee, but he later learned that it wasn't true. Nonetheless, his songs and performances continued to reflect great sympathy for the plight of Indigenous people. "Whether Cherokee blood pumped from his heart or not did not really matter," writes Foley. "In the marginalized lives of Native peoples, Cash saw something of his own experience as a poor kid." Cash was also well known as a strong advocate for prison reform, a stance made widely known via his At Folsom Prisonand At San Quentinalbums. Furthermore, given his childhood as "an Arkansas farm boy," he appeared as part of the supergroup known as the Highwaymen when Willie Nelson organized the first Farm Aid concert in 1985. With sufficient detail and a gift for storytelling, Foley explores these and many other aspects of Cash's complex life. A powerful biography that will leave fans with a newfound respect for the Man in Black.

      COPYRIGHT(2021) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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