The Man in Black

[R. Broath]

Say Johnny hadn't drawn breath. Or if this man of faulty notes and tattered black had stayed the hick he claimed to be, and ground his days in baseball hat, backroad America. Would that matter?

Say he'd thought the Voice unworthy; had never gone to Sun or heard Sam Phillips whoop and say, ' Jee- sus'. Where would the song-book of America be? And then staying around for the birth, life and dreamtime road that's been rock'n'roll.

He couldn't sing worth a shit. Elvis sang. Johnny faltered and flattened. Orbinson sang (living every word). Johnny stumbled and grated. Sinatra swung, threw tantrums and hung out with crooks. Ella stayed on the bus and had the white folks bring her coffee, but they listened to the sweet voice and made believe she was one of them. Satchmo's gravel on sandpaper notes blew the rest away.

Johnny sang the Country. He brung soul to country; country to blues; blues to redneck; America to life. Trailin' along comes Dylan, Springsteen, Byrds, Waits (sleepin' 'til the crack of Noon), Mellencamp and the list goes on. America to life.

Just sticking around, and with God in his shadow, he oozed America. If to say, if to be, if to sing/speak the half-lies and the all-truth of good ol' boys is 'Merican then he was USof A on song. The land sung through him. The times lived through him. He was - The America. Bordered place - open space - country to the bone. The Bone of country.

Ah, Johnny we hardly knew ya!

[BenJohnson]

Trailin' along comes Dylan, Springsteen, Byrds, Waits (sleepin' 'til the crack of Noon), Mellencamp and the list goes on. America to life.

Wow you have just created my heavenly playlist. A break from your usual prose here. This read almost like sleeve notes for a best of cash album

[R. Broath]

Oh the list could be stretched much further, Ben; I haven't mentioned any of the ladies, Bonnie Raitt, Suzy Bogguss, Carlene Carter, Sheryl Crowe etc. But Johnny, although there were some greats before him, is the one I miss most.

Jimmy

[David]

I missed this one, Jimmy. You could make this a poem. You almost have already, although Ben's right, it does read like sleeve notes. Superior sleeve notes.

Have to say, though, Johnny's all very well, but Roy - on certain songs - is the one for me. All together now ...

Dum-dum-dum-dummy-doo-wah ...

Country cheers

David