Johnny Cash

The Life

By: Robert Hilburn

Narrated by: Charles Pittard

Length: 21 hrs and 42 mins

Publisher's summary

The definitive, intimate, no-holds-barred biography of Johnny Cash.

People don't just listen to Johnny Cash - they believe in him.

Although part of his life has been told on film, there are many compelling layers to his story that have remained hidden - until now. Robert Hilburn tells the unvarnished truth about a musical icon whose personal life was far more troubled and his artistry much more profound than even his most devoted fans have realized. As music critic for the Los Angeles Times, Hilburn knew Cash well throughout his life - he was the only music journalist at the legendary Folsom Prison concert in 1968, and he interviewed him extensively just before Cash's death in 2003.

Drawing upon his personal experience with Cash and a trove of never-before seen material from the singer's inner circle, Hilburn gives us a compelling, human portrait of one of the most iconic figures in modern popular culture - not only a towering figure in country music, but also a seminal influence in rock.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your My Library section along with the audio.

©2013 Robert Hilburn (P)2013 Hachette Audio

Man in Black gets worthy biographer

What a good writer Robert Hilburn is. Hilburn, a writer whose work as a music journalist has enriched my understanding of modern music (Cornflakes with John Lennon is a good collection) here takes on the man esteemed as country music's greatest icon, Johnny Cash. This book far surpasses the film version of Cash's life which I was disappointed to learn was woefully inaccurate, and gives us a portrait of a man troubled with more demons than most of us are plagued with (many of which the film Walk the Line does here get accurately), who gloriously finished his career , which had become mired in mediocrity and dismal sales, with a string of powerful albums and a video, Hurt, that has to be seen to be appreciated for its greatness. Even if you are not a fan of country music in general or Cash in particular, this is a powerful examination of one of the greatest musical artists this country has produced. Cash's fixation on the themes of violence, romance, and God sometimes resulted in horrifying sameness in his music. But oh, when he was inspired...! Finally, as so much of greatness is as the result of the right timing and the right partners, it is only fair to note that some of Cash's greatest music came because of his teaming with Sam Philips at Sun Records and Rick Rubin with the great American Recordings series. You owe it to yourself to listen to this book. Hearing the power of the lyrics alone is worth it.

exellent

having read many Johnny cash biographys, this the best, most indept and expressive book, loved it!!!!

Honest & Forthright

As a professional musician, I can attest to the challenges of writing and performing music/art in the public eye. I found Robert Hilburn’s work truthful and telling about a complex and yes, troubled American folk hero. Johnny Cash was a constant traveler with a religious upbringing that both inspired and tortured him. He lived to communicate! And as a wandering performer with a moral compass, one is bound for glory... and heartbreak.

Great book!

I really enjoyed this book, while it is long (21 hours) it was very interesting. I highly recommend it.

Johnny Cash

This is a great book written by an exceptional author. I was very disappointed in the reader. Often he lacked energy and enthusiasm for the story.

Hello, Johnny Cash

I’ve read a few Cash biographies and one autobiography. I was apprehensive about reading another but I’m very glad I did. Some of the tales in this book briefly tainted my image of the man in black. Things I’d never heard or imagined. Cash was larger than life but he was still only a mortal and sinful man. The book is written with such depth and emotion that I found some parts hard to listen to. Extreme attention to detail and deep research fills the pages. Other than a few noticeable edits in the audio, the narration was pleasant enough. In the end, this is the best Cash bio I’ve read.

I was never a fan of Cash, but what a great read.

I was never a fan of Cash and didn't care for most country music. I still don't. So when my husband wanted to listen to this book on a long car trip, I was thoroughly surprised at how engaging it was. Not only is his personal story interesting, but the context of pop music in the 50s 60s and 70s and beyond in the US, all the personalities; it was absorbing. Cash made some astonishingly bad decisions that didn't slow him down but may have led him to an early death. I thought the book was well tempered between pointing out Cash's foibles honestly and in appreciating his work as an artist. The last portion of his life, where he was being produced by Rick Rubin was poignant and wonderful. What a great story.

And a word about the narrator--it took me until I was two-thirds of the way through it to realize that the narrator sounded like Cash himself was telling the story. I thought he did a perfect job.

book was very detailed and great insight,.!!!!!!!

johnny cash was a musical genius all the way to the end. Rick rubin was a great friend to johnny........

A look into the light and dark of the man in black

I feel I know much more about the man in black after reading this, and I didn't think there was much more to know.
For some this might be too much info. I was starting to get a different picture of who he was, but by the end the positive and negative balanced out.
Since most of his success was before my time I never realized how lackluster his career was in the 70's and 80's since he was such a legend.

So much I didn’t know

A complicated man and a complicated family. Sometimes he was hard to like but in the end he was just a man. Just as we all are. Remarkable but human. Worth the long listen.