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Event
Johhny Cash Birthday Bash
Johnny Cash (1932-2003) was one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century. Successful with country, rock, folk, blues, and gospel music, Cash sold over 90 million albums during his long career and became the youngest living inductee into the Country Music Hall of Fame. In 1980, at the age of 48, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame bestowed its honor on him in 1995, thus making him one of a handful of country artists in both organizations.
Johnny was born on Feb. 26, 1932, in Arkansas and grew up farming his family's 20 acres. Music was an integral part of everyday life in the Cash household. John soaked up a variety of musical influences ranging from his mother's folk songs and hymns to the work songs from the fields and nearby railroad yards. He absorbed these sounds like sponge absorbs water.
Cash's release "Cry, Cry, Cry" cracked Billboard's Top 20, peaking at No. 14 and a long succession of chart singles followed. "So Doggone Lonesome" and "Folsom Prison Blues" both broke into the trade publication's Top 10. But Cash's fourth chart single proved to be his career song. "I Walk the Line" shot to Billboard's No. 1 position and remained on the record charts for an incredible 43 weeks, ultimately selling over 2 million copies.
His dream came true when he was invited to perform on the Grand Ole Opry. By 1957 Cash had racked up an impressive string of hits and was working more than 200 dates a year.
Throughout the remainder of the 1950s and into the 1960s, Cash continued to produce remarkable records and charted consistently. "Don't Take Your Guns to Town," "I Got Stripes," "Ring of Fire," "Understand Your Man" and "The Ballad of Ira Hayes" all hit the upper registers of the record charts. Appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show, The Tonight Show and other top-rated network programs followed. In the early 1960s, concept albums such as Bitter Tears and Ballads of the True West made him a favorite among the folk music crowd, culminating in an appearance at the Newport Folk Festival.
With the help of his singing partner June Carter and her family, Johnny managed to conquer his drug addiction and he married his soul mate in 1968. His career experienced a renaissance and throughout the remainder of the decade and into the 1970s, Cash was at the top of his game. A pair of live recordings made at Folsom Prison and San Quentin both went gold and a passel of awards followed including the Country Music Association's Entertainer of the Year and Male Vocalist awards in 1969.
The final payoff was The Johnny Cash Show aired on ABC in 1969. Taped at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium, the show featured an eclectic mix of guests ranging from Bob Dylan and Neil Young to Louis Armstrong and Merle Haggard. Through his selection of guests, Cash helped bridge the generation gap and break down musical barriers. He also used the show as a forum to discuss and raise the country's collective consciousness about social issues of the day such as the plight of the Native Americans (Cash was 1/4 Cherokee), prison reform and the conflict in Vietnam. The show ceased production in 1971, but Cash continued to host numerous specials for several years.
In 1985, Cash joined friends Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings and Kris Kristofferson to form The Highwaymen. The supergroup released three albums between 1985 and 1995, scoring a No. 1 hit with the single "Highwayman" from their first album, The Highwaymen. Although battling serious health problems in the late 1990s, Cash entered a professional renaissance after signing with rap producer Rick Rubin's American record label. American Recordings, released in 1994, won a Grammy for best contemporary folk album. The follow-up, 1996's Unchained, earned the Grammy for best country album in 1997. His 2000 release American III: Solitary Man, included a cover of Neil Diamond's "Solitary Man," which won Cash a Grammy for best male country vocal performance in 2001.
In 2002, Cash released American IV: The Man Comes Around which included the Nine Inch Nails single "Hurt." Cash earned three CMA awards in 2003, and the acclaimed video for "Hurt" won an MTV award and a Grammy.
June died suddenly from complications following heart surgery in May 2003 and Johnny followed her four months later, succumbing to respiratory failure after a long struggle with diabetes. Even in death, Johnny Cash remains a powerful force in American culture. Only two years after his passing, a motion picture based on his life, Walk the Line, enjoyed worldwide critical and popular success. The film generated a revival of interest in his life and work, assuring that another generation would find inspiration in the timeless sound of the Man in Black.
Awards & Honors
Hall of Fame Inductions
1977 - Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame
1980 - Country Music Hall of Fame
1992 - Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Country Music Association
1968 - Album of the Year, At Folsom Prison
1969 - Vocal Group of the Year, with June Carter
1969 - Male Vocalist of the Year
1969 - Single of the Year, "A Boy Named Sue"
1969 - Album of the Year, At San Quentin
1969 - Entertainer of the Year
2003 - Music Video of the Year, "Hurt"
2003 - Single of the Year, "Hurt"
2003 - Album of the Year, American IV: The Man Comes Around
Grammy Awards
1968 - Best Country & Western Performance, Duet, Trio Or Group, "Jackson"(with June Carter Cash)
1969 - Best Male Country Vocal, "Folsom Prison Blues"
1969 - Best Album Notes, At Folsom Prison
1970 - Best Male Country Vocal, "A Boy Named Sue"
1970 - Best Country Song, "A Boy Named Sue" by Shel Silverstein
1970 - Best Album Notes (written by Cash) for Bob Dylan's Nashville Skyline
1971 - Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, "If I Were A Carpenter", with June Carter Cash
1987 - Best Spoken Word or Non-musical Album, Interviews From the Class of '55 Recording Sessions, with Carl Perkins, Chips Moman, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, Ricky Nelson, Roy Orbison and Sam Phillips
1995 - Best Contemporary Folk Album, American Recordings
1998 - Best Country Album, Unchained
1999 - Lifetime Achievement
2001 - Best Country Male Vocal, "Solitary Man"
2002 - Best Country Album, Timeless: Hank Williams Tribute (Cash contributed a cover of "I Dreamed About Mama Last Night")
2003 - Best Country Male Vocal, "Give My Love To Rose"
2004 - Best Short Form Video, "Hurt", directed by Mark Romanek
2006 - Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package, "The Legend"
2008 - Best Short Form Video, "God's Gonna Cut You Down"
MTV Awards
In 2003 the video for Hurt, which was a cover of a Nine Inch Nails song, was nominated for six MTV awards and won the Best Cinematography category.
Miscellaneous Awards
1985 - Single of the Year, "Highwayman" (with The Highwaymen) -Academy Of Country Music
1989 - Living Legend - Music City News
1991 - The Spoken Word - Angel Award (Cash's reading of the New Testament)
2002 - Spirit of Americana Free Speech Award - Americana Awards
2004 - Recorded Event Of The Year - International Bluegrass Music Association
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LocationThe Arts at Angeloria's, LLC (View)
223 Meriden-Waterbury Turnpike
Southington, CT 06489
United States
Categories
| Kid Friendly: Yes! |
| Dog Friendly: No |
| Non-Smoking: Yes! |
| Wheelchair Accessible: Yes! |
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