Cash: The Autobiography

Cash:The Autobiography is a fairly good last word in the Cash story, but don't let it be the only word. Having already penned, contributed to, or given his blessing to several other books about his life, this autobiography is not the extensive, over-arching story that I had anticipated. There are several areas that Cash decides to remain silent on, or otherwise passed on making comment. Many of the highlights of his career, and his life, are similarly not addressed in this work, as a result of the existing body of writing.

What the book does well is provide the finishing punctuation to his life during the twilight of his career, just in the midst of being discovered by a new generation of fans. Cash puts this in context with some stories and perspectives probably unknown to the general public regarding both his personal life and his private life. His recollection of singer Roy Orbison stands out as Cash's view of hope defeating heart ache. Rather than serving as a final tell-all aimed at sales, it is this theme of triumph over personal tragedy that makes this autobiography worthy of the investment of the reader's time. This shouldn't be the only book that one reads about Cash, or too much of the story will be lost because this book does not stand alone by itself. For someone who lived such a full life, and is such a complicated, larger than life personality, perhaps that is just as it should be.

I loved the movie, "Walk The Line". Since the movie was based on this book, I figured it would be a great read. Some of it has been interesting, but I'm not a religous person and I find all of the spiritual talk tedious. I'm only 3/4 of the way through the book and it will be a struggle to finish it. I skipped a whole chapter last night because it was all about scripture. Not my thing!

I really enjoyed this book! It was simple,real and very inspiring. I actually became a Johnny Cash fan after watching his performance on Columbo,"Swan Song" I was blown away by his performance and music and when I found this book I had to get it to learn more of the man. And after reading this book,t hat's what happened. He shares some touching stories and I just know any Johnny Cash fan will be inspired by this Icon!

Johnny Cash's autobiography makes the reader feel like you're in his living room while he tells you his stories. One can picture a blazing fire with Johnny (or JR--he'll tell you) in a comfy chair relating his life and career--to you. Indeed it is so intimate, that each chapter marks a place where he could start by saying, "Did I tell you about the one when...?" Of course he doesn't do that, but the fact that the chapters are sorted more by a stream of thought or a concept makes the lack of chronological order seem more like a plus. Part memoir, part autobiography, and part reflection, '...The Autobiography' is a deeply satisfying read. He shares his faith without proselytizing; he shares his highlights without bragging; and he shares his low times without much sensoring. Johnny Cash provides interesting anecdotes about Elvis, Billy Graham, Carl Perkins, and Bob Dylan--to name but just a few. He's particularly generous about his family. In fact a sizable amount of the sixteen pages of photos are of his family, but the professional ones are key, too. There's a certain amount of class in the way he does it. He doesn't gloss over any strife, but he always gives people their due. Johnny's honest, but he's not vindictive. Relating the tragedies and triumphs on the road, as well as the inroads and motivations for major recordings, make this '...Autobiography' a must read for even the most casual Cash fans (if there is such a thing.)

Johnny Cash writes like he talks with an honest simplicity. Makes you feel like you're just sitting down with him and listening to the life of a most interesting and vulnerable man. An excellent read.

An excellent story by the man himself. As someone else mentioned, it's like he's sitting at your kitchen table telling you about his life. He doesn't dwell too long on any particular subject but covers them all. The most poignant and heartwrenching was his description of the death of his brother Jack. It brought a tear to my eye. Recommended whole heartedly!

'Cash' is an entertaining book that chronicles the life and work of an American musical icon. Johnny created many memorable songs and made just as many friends. However, as the book details, there were some among his contemporaries who were less than generous in their appreciation of his formidable talent. Jealousy appears to be the cause and Waylon Jennings appears as the constant thorn in the side of the super star. On page 78, Johnny cites the incident that occurred just prior to his appearance at a Nashville concert in 1992. 'I was about to go on stage when Waylon handed me my hat and wished me luck. I didn't know it, but Jennings had put superglue on the inside and I couldn't get the hat off for three days. When the surgeons finally removed it, the glue had caused some sort of chemical reaction and my hairpiece had turned into a pink Afro.'

At the time, Jennings denied any involvement in the 'prank' and rejected the claims of jealousy, but during his recent interview with Conan O'Brien on 'Late Night', it seems that Johnny's assessment of Waylon's consuming envy was correct. O'Brien asked Waylon what he thought of the autobiography and he replied, 'I read 'Cash'. I want mine back.'

Fortunately, many others read it and don't feel shortchanged.

Wasn't expecting a lot out of this book, but actually found it fascinating. It isn't page by page list of everything he's done in his life. It's more reflective and I think gave a very good picture of what his life has become. He tells about his family and relationships, how he now spends his time, how his values developed directly from his roots. It is thoughtful, well-written, and most interesting.

If you are a Johnny Cash fan, this writing belongs on your book shelf. This work is a current compilation of previous
writings plus new information; it's the definitive book on "Cash the Man" from his highs to his lows - it's a slice of life of a super star. Even at an advanced age when his career was in jeopardy, he figured out how to make one more record that went gold!

It's been a while since I read this; I had checked it out at the library years ago and recently put it on my wish list to have in my music collection. Reading it was very much like sitting down with Johnny Cash, I could almost hear his voice. I was particularly pleased to learn more about his personal relationships with The Highway Men (Waylon, Willie, Kristofferson) and his touching memories of Roy Orbison brought tears to my eyes. You don't have to like country music to enjoy this book. If you are at all interested in the evolution of American rock n roll, this is one you should read. There's no fluff or gossip, he just tells it like it was.