Johnny Cash And The Paradox Of American Identity

Throughout his career, Johnny Cash has been depicted—and has depicted himself—as a walking contradiction: social protestor and establishment patriot, drugged wildman and devout Christian crusader, rebel outlaw hillbilly thug and elder statesman. Leigh H. Edwards explores the allure of this paradoxical image and its cultural significance. She argues that Cash embodies irresolvable contradictions of American identity that reflect foundational issues in the American experience, such as the tensions between freedom and patriotism, individual rights and nationalism, the sacred and the profane. She illustrates how this model of ambivalence is a vital paradigm for American popular music, and for American identity in general. Making use of sources such as Cash's autobiographies, lyrics, music, liner notes, and interviews, Edwards pays equal attention to depictions of Cash by others, such as Vivian Cash's publication of his letters to her, documentaries and music journalism about him, Walk the Line, and fan club materials found in the archives at the Country Music Foundation in Nashville, to create a full portrait of Cash and his significance as a cultural icon.

The Music Issue enhanced eBook include all the tracks on our special CD and: The tell-all letter from a teenage girl who kissed—and kissed—Elvis Presley How corruption and greed made the Jacksonville music scene Gretchen Wilson, country music's "Redneck Woman" The invaluable social spaces of African American record stores Bobby Rush, "bluesman-plus" Where Opryland resides in hearts, minds, and souls Backstage with the Avett Brothers, Doc Watson, Tift Merritt, Southern Culture on the Skids, the Carolina Chocolate Drops, Johnny Cash, and more great artists. This enhanced eBook also contains Loving, Leaving, Liquor, and the Lord, which is packed with tracks from the Avett Brothers, Doc and Merle Watson, Archers of Loaf, and many more amazing Southern musicians--old and new. Southern Cultures is published quarterly (spring, summer, fall, winter) by the University of North Carolina Press. The journal is sponsored by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Center for the Study of the American South.

Race, sex, and gender.

Winner, 2023 J. G. Ragsdale Book Award from the Arkansas Historical Association Because Johnny Cash cut his classic singles at Sun Records in Memphis and reigned for years as country royalty from his Nashville-area mansion, people tend to associate the Man in Black with Tennessee. But some of Cash’s best songs—including classics like “Pickin’ Time,” “Big River,” and “Five Feet High and Rising”—sprang from his youth in the sweltering cotton fields of northeastern Arkansas. In Country Boy, Colin Woodward combines biography, history, and music criticism to illustrate how Cash’s experiences in Arkansas shaped his life and work. The grip of the Great Depression on Arkansas’s small farmers, the comforts and tragedies of family, and a bedrock of faith all lent his music the power and authenticity that so appealed to millions. Though Cash left Arkansas as an eighteen-year-old, he often returned to his home state, where he played some of his most memorable and personal concerts. Drawing upon the country legend’s songs and writings, as well as the accounts of family, fellow musicians, and chroniclers, Woodward reveals how the profound sincerity and empathy so central to Cash’s music depended on his maintaining a deep connection to his native Arkansas—a place that never left his soul.

"How the world shows it loves Johnny Cash:: a Brazilian records "Hurt" and posts it to YouTube;an elderly shopkeeper in Northern Ireland plays Johnny Cash every day on his tape recorder ; a young man in Tomb, a farm town in southern Norway, sports a Johnny Cash tattoo; a woman in the Netherlands maintains the Johnny Cash Infocenter, an exhaustive resource of Johnny Cash materials worldwide--and gets to wear June Carter's clothing and sleep in Johnny Cash's bedroom. One might have suspected that Johnny Cash's appeal was universal, given his nonstop touring schedule for more than 40 years. But the breadth-and nuance-of his appeal worldwide is stunning, as is the way in which his fans have sought both to further that appeal as well as protect his legacy. International Cash: How the World Loves the Man in Black explores the nature of Johnny Cash's appeal worldwide from the fan perspective, explaining what the worldwide love of the artist tells us about him, the world, the United States, and the nature of fandom. It's also a series of stories about technology and authenticity, as a world easily navigated by the Internet is also one that conceives authenticity as a type of commodity easily displayed. Different eras of technology have also produced different fan behaviours and activities, and they are represented in continuity with one another here. There are Cash superfans who travel extensively to trail Cash's life and perform in homage to him, but there is also another population of Cash fans who express themselves more discreetly, often online. There they are often expressing their love for Cash in uncertain spaces, forums where there are no guarantees that everyone feels the same way as themselves. Here Cash is seen as somebody not only worth admiring, but worth fighting for, and this book shows that Cash fandom is a more active field of politics and commitment than might routinely be assumed"--

Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

Convict Cowboys is the first book on the nation’s first prison rodeo, which ran from 1931 to 1986. At its apogee the Texas Prison Rodeo drew 30,000 spectators on October Sundays. Mitchel P. Roth portrays the Texas Prison Rodeo against a backdrop of Texas history, covering the history of rodeo, the prison system, and convict leasing, as well as important figures in Texas penology including Marshall Lee Simmons, O.B. Ellis, and George J. Beto, and the changing prison demimonde. Over the years the rodeo arena not only boasted death-defying entertainment that would make professional cowboys think twice, but featured a virtual who’s who of American popular culture. Readers will be treated to stories about numerous American and Texas folk heroes, including Western film stars ranging from Tom Mix to John Wayne, and music legends such as Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson. Through extensive archival research Roth introduces readers to the convict cowboys in both the rodeo arena and behind prison walls, giving voice to a legion of previously forgotten inmate cowboys who risked life and limb for a few dollars and the applause of free-world crowds.

The Foreword Indies Gold Medal Winner that “analyzes Dolly Parton as a performance art project designed to subvert gender and class expectations” (Shondaland). Dolly Parton is instantly recognizable for her iconic style and persona, but how did she create her enduring image? Dolly crafted her exaggerated appearance and stage personality by combining two opposing stereotypes—the innocent mountain girl and the voluptuous sex symbol. Emerging through her lyrics, personal stories, stage presence, and visual imagery, these wildly different gender tropes form a central part of Dolly’s media image and portrayal of herself as a star and celebrity. By developing a multilayered image and persona, Dolly both critiques representations of femininity in country music and attracts a diverse fan base ranging from country and pop music fans to feminists and gay rights advocates. In Dolly Parton, Gender, and Country Music, Leigh H. Edwards explores Dolly’s roles as musician, actor, author, philanthropist, and entrepreneur to show how Dolly’s gender subversion highlights the challenges that can be found even in the most seemingly traditional form of American popular music. As Dolly depicts herself as simultaneously “real” and “fake,” she offers new perspectives on country music’s claims of authenticity. “A valuable contribution to studies of celebrity, gender, music, media, and popular culture that should be useful to scholars working in any of these areas.” —Celebrity Studies “A stellar exploration of how Parton deftly balanced traditional country aesthetics with her willingness to rebel against those same trappings by completely owning her image and how she performed her femininity.” —Bearded Gentlemen Music