He is "The Man in Black." Country music legend. The "quintessential American troubadour." An icon of rugged individualism, who's been to hell and back, and tells the tale as never before. In this unforgettable autobiography, Johnny Cash talks straight about the highs and lows, the struggles and hard-won triumphs, and the people who have shaped him.

In his own words, Cash sets the record straight--and dispels a few myths--as he looks unsparingly at his remarkable life: from his turbulent past to the joys of the present to his plans down the road. Here, too, are the friends of a lifetime, including Willie Nelson, Roy Orbison, Bob Dylan, and Dr. Billy Graham. As powerful and memorable as one of his classic songs, Cash is filled with the candor, wit, and wisdom of a man who has truly "walked the line."

"Engaging.... Written with honesty and spiritual insight.... Cash's stories and strength shine."
--Chicago Sun-Times

"Insightful, relaxed, and conversational.... The stories sing."
--New York Times Book Review

"Gives a feel for what it might be like to spend some time with him.... Cash is a good storyteller.... Fascinating.... Rich anecdotes.... Interesting observations.... Any Cash fan with find a lot here to enjoy."
--Boston Globe

"Cash has always been cool."
--Country Music magazine

With 16-pages of never-before-seen photos

Cash: An Autobiography

FROM THE PUBLISHER

"?if my life has anything to say, I'll say it here?"

—Johnny Cash, from a statement he made
on the publication of his autobiography, Cash

He was the "Man in Black", a country music legend, the "quintessential American troubadour." He was an icon of rugged individualism who had been to hell and back, telling the tale as never before. In his unforgettable autobiography, Johnny Cash tells the truth about the highs and lows, the Struggles and hard-won triumphs, and the people who shaped him. In the last year Johnny Cash has enjoyed a great resurgence of popularity winning the 2003 Grammy for Best Male Country vocalist and nominated for 7 MTV Music Video Awards. His fan base cuts across multiple generations. In the summer of 2004 a major motion picture, starring Reese Witherspoon and Joaquin Phoenix will chronicle his early years and courtship of the woman who became his life's partner, June Carter Cash.

FROM THE CRITICS

Kirkus Reviews

A humble, happy look back from the man in black.

Johnny Cash answers to many names; he's JR to childhood friends and family, John to bandmates, and Johnny to fans. "Cash" is the name wife June Carter reserves for "the star, the egomaniac." The star gets plenty of ink here, from the early days at Sun Records—with Elvis, Carl Perkins, and Jerry Lee Lewis—to his current status as a darling of the alternative rock set. But it's the private man who's most compelling and surprisingly complex. Cash writes candidly of his recurring addiction to amphetamines and his concomitant shortcomings as a father, addresses his spirituality without sounding maudlin, and displays genuine humility at his success and very little bitterness at his abandonment by the country music establishment. A more accurate subtitle might be "The Second Autobiography," since this volume covers some of the same ground as Cash's previous work, The Man in Black (1986), but a life so chock full of oddments (he once started a forest fire with an automobile and on another occasion was nearly disemboweled by an ostrich) and renegade stands (he opposed Vietnam, heresy to the nation's blue- collar constituency) easily merits a second look. Organized around the domiciles where he divides his time—homes in Tennessee, Florida, and Jamaica, as well as his tour bus—the book stays grounded in the present, mixing reflections on his 40-year career with a running chronicle of an ongoing tour. This novel approach minimizes the as-told-to blahs that plague many a celebrity autobiography and highlights Cash's wry humor and introspection. With the help of Carr, editor of Country Music magazine, Cash keeps the pace lively until the end, when the roses he throws everyone from grandkids to music biz buddies bog things down.

Mostly, though, a pungent, substantive autobiography from one the most iconoclastic talents on the American music scene.