Extensively Researched & Read Brilliantly

This was a joy to listen to. The level of research that clearly went into this book clearly shows. It is a fascinating look at Mr Cash's life. The narrator was first class as well.

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The Cash

A good story if a little long seems to drag a little in parts a good over sight of he's life battling drugs.

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An amazing life of an amazing individual

Wow. Listening to Johnny’s life told to me makes me appreciate him more and more. He was and is an absolute legend. Thank you Johnny for all the great music

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brilliant

absolutely loved it a must for all fans of JC excellent reading could not put it down

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Man in Black

This is a fascinating account of a true legend (I don't use that word lightly) of music. There is no doubt Jonny Cash had his demons and at times lived a very troubled life. But what shines through is his love for his wife and the fantastic legacy of music he left behind. I loved this book.

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The unblemished, unflinching truth

First of all, if you've watched 'Walk the Line' (the 2005 Hollywood film of Johnny Cash's life) - that's the fairy story narrative of this man's life.

A generation of people will understand that Johnny Cash's life was basically a story of how he married young, to the wrong woman, Vivian. She resented his music and gave him a hard a time. He hit the drugs to keep going on the road and found the affections of June Carter - who he fell in love with. He divorced Vivian, and June understood him and saved him from his demons, which included drugs and the bitter memories of losing his brother as a child, and his equally bitter relationship with his father.

Ok - park that story there. Not only is it incredibly unfair on Vivian Cash, it's also incredibly indulgent on Johnny Cash. It also paints June as a saintly figure - and she was far from that in the way she went after the married Johnny Cash.

Johnny Cash was a bad man. Make no mistakes about it. He was wild. There were more women in his life than just Vivian and June. The film doesn't really look at his temper, his violence, his drugs, his missed tour dates (at one point he was missing more bookings than he turned up for). Somehow his incredible talent pulled him through both professionally and personally.

You have to read/listen to this book because the full story, the anecdotes, the legends are as incredible as they are true - and Robert Hilburn is unflinching in his determination to tell the fact from the fiction.

Johnny Cash is a great human being. He experienced the hell of surviving all his personal, emotional and psychological wrong doings and he distilled them to become bitter sweet dark dark chocolate sound of his country, rockabilly, folk and pop music. He was a champion for the underdog, he was resolutely non-judgemental of others, and he walked a line that few others could ever have survived.

Quite incredible man, and all credit to Robert Hilburn, quite an incredible account of it all.

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10 people found this helpful

Got to admit.... this is Great

A country hero.. a superstar... and with that a hypocritical asshole...
the story of this man leads me to believe that you can do anything and get away with it using religion..
He was an amazing man.. who took A SHIT load of drugs... slept around outside of his marriages and yet he released so many gospel albums and tours with Billy Graham preaching the word of the lord often while unable to stand due to copious amounts of drugs drink and attitude.
I am amazed he lasted as long as he did... he was a fighter with the heart of a poet and the soul of a preacher..
Well worth getting to know and this is the Book that introduces you to Jonny cash in ways that will make you smile .. cry ... and get angry .
In the end you will love him for his generosity of spirit and yet hate him for his behaviour..
A worthwhile listen .. about a true hero of music and someone who is part of History for all that he did and all that happened to him...
Enjoy this book I REALLY DID
BRILLIANT

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1 person found this helpful

Darkness and Light

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes I would, we all share an interest in the roots of the music that we tend to listen to.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Rick Rubin, he saw Cash, the man, at his core and built those American Albums from that core.

What about Charles Pittard’s performance did you like?

His tone of delivery was actually entirely appropriate to the story, just the right balance between impartial observer and interested party. He could also slip into a pretty good Johnny Cash impression when required.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The passing of Johnny's brother. The sense of devastation felt by the family, as well as the wider community was well conveyed. Also the deaths at the end were very well written.

Any additional comments?

I'm a big Johnny Cash fan and there was plenty of information contained within that I didn't know. There might even have been moments where I learned things that I felt like I didn't really WANT to know, given my admiration for the man, but to truly understand him it's important to have all the information I think. This is a 'warts and all' biography, although clearly written with a huge amount of respect for the man, there's plenty of darkness contained within this biography as well as moments of true redemption and beauty. In the end, it's a story of love and of faith, but there were plenty of times when that might not have seemed to be where his story was headed.

The book sums his character, as well as his life up beautifully, it's both darkness and light.

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A long book

I found this book to be full of information about JR cash's life it's not a book to be taken lightly .

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The Man In Black

The was a fantastic review of the life of JR. I was already a Cash fan, and was pleased with each song or album which was discussed in the book, however the detail and insight in to Johnny's turbulent and intriguing life were fascinating. I already knew some rough outlines of JC's life, but the depth and honesty this book portrays is worth reading. This really is a 'warts n all' look at the life of Johnny Cash and can, in places be surprising. Do not enter in to this with a rose tinted view of Cash as a virtuous moral role model, but a man who battled against his own personal demons his whole life. I cannot highly recommend this book enough for any Johnny Cash Fan.

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1 person found this helpful