by Glen Stevens

Created on: December 02, 2007

Ma afghan wrapped, nestled in her rocker, myself on her lap, others blanket draped sat around on the floor. As if taking the heat radiating from the wood burning stove and rubbing it all through my body. Sending me off to dream land with the words to Walk The Line, Burning Ring of Fire & A Boy named Sue. Early 70's it was, my earliest recollections of Johnny Cash .
Darker chapters of a young man's life would lead on several occasions to hear that distinctive clang of prison cells. As you lay there pondering life, no other person's song could describe the dread as well as Johnny's Folsom Prison Blues. I still get goose bumps when I watch him sing San Quentin on you-tube. Those songs magically could prop you up through the roughest of times.
As an older, wiser man I'm still finding my self influenced by Johnny Cash. The song Hurt has a lot of meaning to me as long with God's going to cut you down. Amazingly I find that more and more young people are listening. It always amazes me to look towards a car that Johnny is blasting from and see a 19 or 20-year-old person just loving it.
Songs of passion, songs of grief, songs of love and songs of controversy best describe his music. A man of influence best described the man in black.

Learn more about this author, Glen Stevens.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.