Citizen Cash: The Political Life and Times of Johnny Cash

by Michael Stewart Foley

A leading historian argues that Johnny Cash was the most important political artist of his time Johnny Cash was an American icon, known for his level, bass-baritone voice and somber demeanor, and for huge hits like “Ring of Fire” and “I Walk the Line.” But he was also the most prominent political artist in the United States, even if he wasn’t recognized for it in his own lifetime, or since his death in 2003. Then and now, people have misread Cash’s politics, usually accepting the idea of him as a “walking contradiction.” Cash didn’t fit into easy political categories—liberal or conservative, Republican or Democrat, hawk or dove. Like most people, Cash’s politics were remarkably consistent in that they were based not on ideology or scripts but on empathy—emotion, instinct, and identification. Drawing on untapped archives and new research on social movements and grassroots activism, Citizen Cash offers a major reassessment of a legendary figure.

Genres: Music, Biography, Politics, Nonfiction, Cultural

384 pages, Hardcover

Published December 7, 2021

Reviews

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

"[In the aftermath of Johnny Cash's death in 2003, his friend and musical colleague Kris Kristofferson remembered] 'He represented so much that appealed to me - like freedom. He was willing and able to be the champion of people who didn't have one. Although I could see why some people would be drawn to Cash for his wild side, to me, he doesn't represent danger, he represents integrity.'" -- on page 288

My first great read of 2024, Foley's Citizen Cash: The Political Life and Times of Johnny Cash is not exactly, nor was it intended to be, a standard-issue biography of the music superstar. Yes, the book does partly function as a bio - early sections on Cash's childhood in Great Depression-era Arkansas were the best and most detailed in any book I've read on him thus far - the actual thrust is what truly inspired and drove him to record a number of 'concept' albums or pointed songs during the tumultuous 60's and 70's, when the U.S. was tearing apart at the seams with racial, sociological, and generational differences. (So glad we've finally cleared THOSE hurdles . . . oh, wait.). Interestingly, this was also the time period where Cash began to finally shed some of his 'bad boy' image - mostly breaking free from that scourge of narcotics addiction, which was increasingly problematic for him - and became almost an elder statesman of sorts, sounding like a voice of reason amidst the national cacophony. Briefly hosting a weekly national ABC-TV series for three years (1969-1971) led Cash to be able to present a number musical performers who ran the gamut from traditional to controversial, while he also presented documentary segments that had a somewhat sermon-like aura in which he intended to show the best but overlooked part of the American populace. Although at times the book's narrative ran sort of dry during the some of the middle chapters, it soon came roaring back with vigor during excellent subsequent sections on Cash's now-classic prison albums (which are some of my favorites from his extensive discography) plus his conduct and conflicted thoughts on the Vietnam Conflict. By the conclusion it was sort of fascinating that such a public figure - who was certainly not a cipher, or engaged in any sort of pandering behavior - was and still is seemingly able to effortlessly reach folks from different walks of life through his plainspoken musical style.

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, you wonder why I always dress in black

Why you never see bright colors on my back

And why does my appearance seem to have a somber tone

Well, there’s a reason for the things that I have on

I wear the black for the poor and the beaten down

Living in the hopeless, hungry side of town

I wear it for the prisoner who has long paid for his crime

But is there because he’s a victim of the time …..

–From Johnny Cash’s Man in Black

Due for release, December 7, 2021, Foley’s thoroughly-researched book Citizen Cash offers a close look at Cash’s songs and how they set out political ideas. For those of us only familiar with only a few legendary Cash songs (generally Ring of Fire, Walk the Line, Man in Black), it is a new adventure, but he’s got whole truckloads of songs that many are not familiar with. Split into themed chapters, we find a host of songs about the plight of the poor, echoing Cash’s poverty stricken Arkansas childhood. Then, there’s a chapter connecting Cash to the civil rights movement. There’s a chapter pointing out songs about Native Americans and their difficulties. Then, we get a chapter about Cash and his complicated response to the Vietnam War, including his support for Nixon’s peace plan, his support for our troops, and his concern over the plight of the soldiers who never made it home from a seemingly never-ending war. Finally, the fifth chapter of the book explores Cash’s Christianity as it was expressed in his music and television show. This is not a biography although it touches on biographical details. Rather, it’s an exploration of Cash’s ideas and interests expressed in his music and on his long-running show.

[Stacie Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is pretty wonderful, y’all. It’s clearly well-researched and full of interesting tidbits. Country music has, sadly, come to represent a very simple and often closed-minded demographic. The progressive views, intelligent political commentary, and groundbreaking subject matter that it was founded on tend to be overlooked these days. Cash’s beliefs didn’t stick to a party line, the true mark of a thinking man; and he was never tempted to hold them back, a proper rebel. Whether you’re a fan of his music or just captivated by his persona, I believe this book will speak to you. It’s broken down in a very readable way and offers a lot of insight into the complexities of the Man in Black.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Basic Books for the advance reader copy of this book, in exchange for my honest review.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Perseus Books, Basic Books for an advanced copy of this musical and political biography.

Johnny Cash was a man of if not constant, at least many sorrows. Cash wore black for the poor and broke down. Cash loved Jesus, but his most famous songs featured murderers and killers. Loved by the right, he sang songs with Bob Dylan, was a Highwayman, an addict and an adulterer. In a time of polarization where country music is a dividing line between left and right, only two things can be agreed on by both sides. Johnny Cash, and Dolly Parton for that matter, are amazing,once in a lifetime people. Historian Michael Stewart Foley writes about Johnny Cash and his politics, where he stood and what he tried to do for others in his book Citizen Cash: The Political Life and Times of Johnny Cash.

Not another biography, this book focuses more on the politics of the singer who could get crowds from all sides of the political spectrum sing songs of brave Native Americans, flooded out farmers and prisoners waiting to hang. Foley discusses Cash's upbringing, poor, with friends of both races, and his family's early involvement with organized labor that helped his town and neighbors survive during the Depression. How his time in the Army taught him much of what the military was like and helped him make decisions when questions about Vietnam were asked. And later when given his variety show on television he talked and tried to show the lives of those less fortunate in as many homes as he could, on a medium that he knew the people he talked and sang about could not afford.

The research is quite interesting with many new facts about Cash and his life coming forward. The writing style can be a little tough to get into, where is the talk about music and his musical influences might be a common question. However this is not that kind of a book. This is about the man and his message, and where the message was molded. I don't think there are many performers you could write a biography like this about.

As a fan of music I have read quite a few books on Cash, at least two I believe had his name on the cover as writer, but I have much more of an appreciation and understanding for the Man in Black now from Mr. Foley's work. An excellent biography about a man who tried his best to be what he thought was a good man. A very topical book as political parties seem to want to fight over who belongs on their team and who is not. Mr. Cash, well he walked the line.

[Chrystopher’s Archive · Rating 5 out of 5]

“As Cash’s children reminded the world when news cameras captured the image of a white supremacist wearing a Johnny Cash T-shirt in 2017 at the ‘Unite the Right’ rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, their father repeatedly impressed upon them ‘you can choose love or hate.’ Cash told his children that he chose love.”

So ends this astonishing biography.

As someone with a very lackadaisical knowledge of 20th century music and pop culture, I was snagged mostly by the promise of the subtitle, of the larger contextual picture Foley wanted to paint around Cash. And I was not let down at all.

Not just a biography - maybe not really a biography at all - this book is a nuanced, complicated narrative presented with both a warmth of generosity and an unhesitating critical eye towards its subject matter.

For fans of biography, music history, politics, and thoughtful discourse.

[Lance Cahill · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is interesting and relies heavily upon available transcripts of the Johnny Cash show and other biographies, autobiographies, and other interviews given. No research performed was using available public documents. But, the author does cover a wide breadth of written materials.

I do think the author’s personal views colors his interpretation of Cash’s views as infusing his work when such an interpretation is not warranted.

Moreover, the lack of interrogation of certain claims undercuts this book as a serious piece of history.

One example for both is the author’s view of “The Man Comes Around”. In the author’s view, the song sheds a light on the difficult path a person faces when trying to apply a politics of empathy. The author focuses heavily on a lyric which speaks to a whirlwind being in a thorn tree (as Cash has claimed a dream involving the Queen of England using this phrase inspired, in part, the song). Cash, according to the author, sourced this Job. But, either Cash (and the author lazily repeats) or the author mangles the passage in Job and fails to give a fair reading (God spoke through the whirlwind insofar as Old Testament tradition being that to see God’s face would result in death). The passage in Job undoubtedly informed the structure of the song as contrasting the powers of God and man and the author misses this connection, which answers the question why Cash didn’t source this to, what would be an obvious passage in Hosea (reap the whirlwind).

The author ascribes extreme importance to events which were taking place around the time of its release (buildup to the Iraq War) as to the meaning of the song, that Cash viewed recent events as being especially troublesome. The song itself, though, was written prior to 9/11. Historical context, indeed. And the author misses the connection between Cash’s inclusion of “it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks” and the whirlwind because he didn’t fully explore the relevant passage in Job. To kick against the pricks is a futile effort as it merely increases the harm (a known Greek proverb). God interrogates Job, from the whirlwind, rhetorically asking whether man is able to do a litany of things that only God can do.

Jesus’ admonition to Paul that it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks is a gentle rebuke, not a stern one (sympathizing with Paul’s struggle). A sympathy extended to someone on his way to Damascus to bind Christians and bring them back to Jerusalem. This view of the passage completely turns the author’s view on the song on its head. Less fire and brimstone and more hope and redemption.

Cash’s “The Man Comes Around” is deep in allegory and one is led astray with simplistic exegesis, no different than simplistic exegesis of Revelation. It is one of Cash’s best songs and unfortunately short shrift was given to it.

There are other examples in the book where a deeper analysis, in my view, less bogged down by a certain political orientation would shed better light.

Alas, still an interesting book. Perhaps a better book if not written for the person trying to win an argument with their country music loving, Republican relative that Johnny Cash would find their views disagreeable.

[Dave Stone · Rating 4 out of 5]

A snapshot of a changing America and a self reflecting man
This book promises to try and put Johnny Cash's political positions into a historical context.
I believe that it succeeds, but the historical context it lays out is unfamiliar to most.
No spoiler to tell you that Johnny Cash did not fit any lazy classification.
Neither conservative nor liberal, red nor blue, hawk nor dove. This man did not fit any of the false dichotomies of the Us vs. Them narrative. This book does a great job of not only driving that point home, but also showing what he was for, and what he was about. and whenever possible showing the why of it.
The second way this book succeeds is in painting a fairly clear picture of that historical context it promises right at the start. This book is a great lens into the forgotten corners of an otherwise over reported era. Not just the cruelty and injustice but the nostalgically comfortable and the banality of things gone. If you were there it's nostalgic, if you weren't there its educational. So you don't have to be a die hard Johnny Cash fan to get something out of this book. Any Self reflecting person who thinks about the world they are in and how they fit could benefit.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A unique perspective on Cash combining biographical detail and cultural analysis with music history to provide an in-depth portrait of the ways he acquired his political and social ideas and expressed them through his music.

[Andrew Epperson · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a divided America, the late great Johnny Cash is “claimed” by people who adhere to basically any political ideology, especially the major parties. The author recounts Cash’s son calling the music legend “apolitical,” but based on the evidence recounted here, Cash was perhaps the most political musical figure in the 20th century. His political stances were based in empathetic values rather than doctrine or dogma, and I enjoyed learning about his growth and leadership in several key areas.
Cash tried to have it both ways for much of his career. It seems to me his work on prison reform changed that, and he began to speak out on issues he thought were important rather than promoting mixed messages as he did early in the civil rights movement. The work he did on prison reform resulted in documented changes to Arkansas’ prison system (and a couple really great albums filled with convict-inspired advocacy songs). Much of the work he did in that realm remains unfulfilled.
I gained a much stronger respect for Cash the man rather than “the Man in Black” persona record companies strategically pushed toward in the end of his life and in death. The man was not a hardened, disinterested outlaw. In fact, New Deal-era aid and a childhood mixed with issues that permeated his adulthood influenced his empathy and judgement throughout his life. What we can learn from Cash is that accepting partisan ideology at face value isn’t constructive and further eliminates progress. Instead, forming beliefs based on what we deem to be good and well-reasoned could precipitate legitimate change.

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Detailed Examination Of Forgotten Elements Of A Legend. I grew up listening to Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, and others of that generation via Country Gold Saturday Night on the radio in the late 80s and early 90s. My family would pile in the pickup truck, parents in the cab, myself and my two younger brothers in the back, and we would ride the backroads in the boonies of northwest Georgia between Atlanta and Chatanooga, listening to the radio and feeling the wind buffet our bodies. Honestly some of my most fond memories of the carefree era of my childhood, and Johnny Cash played a role there - a role he never knew about. And while I've known of him since then as a country music legend, I had never considered his politics or messages.

This book changes that.

This book, with its chapters focusing on specific elements of Cash's political beliefs and how they developed, is less biography and more analysis of how the given message came to be espoused by this particular man and why. It shows that at his heart, Johnny Cash was a man who empathized with the low and down trodden. How his own childhood on a Depression era sharecropper farm came to shape much of how he saw the world, and how even his service in the US Air Force in Germany during the Korean War era would come to shape his views of the Vietnam War a decade later. The text does not shy away from Cash's well known (and well documented) struggles with drugs and alcohol, even showing where Cash himself was hypocritical on the issues at times - ordering his wife never to touch alcohol, even in some letters where it is quite clear he himself is drunk while writing them. At the same time, it doesn't spend much time on these particular facets or even his wives, the controversy surrounding how he eventually got together with June Carter, his various kids, or any other aspect an actual biography would. Instead, this text uses biography more as background and scaffolding to show how Cash came to the political positions he did and how he came to espouse them.

Truly an interesting take on a genuine legend, and very much recommended.

[Matthew Gordon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book offers a pretty good look at Cash's work, especially his less celebrated records, in the context of his sociopoliticoreligious world view. It was initiated as an expansion on a magazine article, and it feels like it. The thesis of Cash's politics of empathy is well-established early on in the book and the book explores it in detail, divided into topical sections (poverty, prisons, civil rights, Indian affairs, war, patriotism, and religion) to get at his unusual, more personal perspective, which tends to confound both liberals and conservatives. As such, it offers a rather deep dive into his less famous and less popular records, which is interesting, especially to those, like me, who are mostly familiar only with his early hits and the later Rick Rubin recordings. But, while it probably served quite well as a magazine article, it drags a bit as a full-length book, since it already makes its main (and really, only) point in the first few pages. But it is well-written and does bring his work together with fresh and convincing insights into Cash's inspirations, aspirations, and character.

[CHAD FOSTER · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this excellent book, one finds a nuanced portrait of an American music icon. The author argues effectively that Cash practiced a deliberate (and ever-evolving) style of public citizenship based on empathy rather than any specific political ideology.

Despite attempts by pundits of all persuasions to “claim” Johnny Cash for their “side,” the truth is that this great artist defied narrow characterization. He was neither “right” nor “left.” Nor was he a simple country crooner lamenting about the pitfalls of romance and the charmingly bucolic nature of rural life. Johnny Cash was always, to me, a transcendent artist. To call him a country singer is to grossly underestimate his artistry. And referring to him simply as a more widely palpable version of Bob Dylan is an error of equal magnitude. Cash is perhaps best defined by the lyrics from his famous song, “The Man in Black” where he states clearly and unequivocally that he stands for the “poor and the beaten down.”

However, what is even more fascinating is Cash’s intellectual journey that shaped (and changed) his conscience. The two constants seem to have been the dominating influence of his own humbling personal experiences and his openness to the views and (more importantly) the experiences of others. He was himself a victim of substance abuse. He grew up dirt poor on a cooperative farm in Arkansas. Many of his songs blended those personal experiences with those of other with whom he shared very little outside of a common state of poverty.

Johnny Cash was able to wave the flag as vigorously and proudly as anyone else because he saw our Nation as what it really is: a noble aspiration that has been imperfectly executed by its citizenry. He often pointed out those imperfections as a way to spur Americans to better action. This is where he differs from the firebomb throwing (figurative and literal) “left” who also seek to claim Cash as one of their own. Whereas these political ideologues seem to care only about tearing things down, the Man in Black’s motivations centered on inspiring others to live up to the noble ideas on which our Nation was founded. Of course, Cash did not shrink from pointed criticism when he thought there was a need for it, as shown by his lyrics on everything from his concept albums of the 1960s, his live “prison recordings from Folsom and San Quentin, to his American Records recordings collaboration with Rick Rubin near the end of his life.

But Cash evolved along the course of his career. He grew more confident in asserting his own “narrative” over the years. Ironically, this dampened his widespread popularity among all societal circles, likely a sign that he was more “on the mark” than was comfortable for those on either side of the partisan political divide that has increasingly engulfed the US since the tumult of the late 1960s and 70s.

Cash was as imperfect in his execution of his public empathy as his beloved Nation was (is) in living up to its own noble aspirations. This is part of what makes Johnny Cash as fine a representation of the American spirit as any modern public figure who has lived. In a day when we commonly admonish entertainers, celebrities, professional athletes, and others with a highly visible platform to keep their views to themselves when they don’t align perfectly with our own, we’d be well-served to appreciate the example set by Johnny Cash.

[Michael Elkon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Foley gets across the thesis that Johnny Cash could not be defined by traditional left-right dynamics. He practices the politics of empathy (a term that is frequently used throughout the book) to show support for the poor (based on his upbringing in Depression-era rural Arkansas; the description of the importance of the New Deal for his family was really good), Native Americans (he did a concept album on this in the early Sixties), African Americans (Foley argues that another of Cash's concept albums should be interpreted as being about race even though he was not explicit about it), prisoners (the two prison albums from the late Sixties are famous and Johnny was involved in trying to make prison conditions in Arkansas better), and soldiers in Vietnam (Cash's views on that war were complicated; he supported Nixon when he came into office but he also seemed to sour on the war and wanted it to end, a "dove with claws"). He remained religious throughout his life and was close to Billy Graham but kept his distance from what would become evangelical right-wing politics.

Interestingly, Foley is not a big fan on American Recordings, as he sees them as not especially political and instead based on Johnny trading on his outlaw label. That said, he ends the book by talking about "The Man Comes Around," which he does see as a political song. This is the key verse:

And the whirlwind is in the thorn tree
The virgins are all trimming their wicks
The whirlwind is in the thorn tree
It's hard for thee to kick against the pricks

The first line came to Johnny in a dream where Queen Elizabeth II said to him "you are a thorn tree in a whirlwind" and then Foley sees "it's hard for thee to kick against the pricks" as being a fitting coda for Cash's career because the concept is that the more you push back against injustice, the harder things get for you. It's a line from Jesus to Saul (Foley describes that Cash wrote a novel about Saul on the Road to Damascus), which I did not know. It's also an agricultural metaphor, which is a fitting full circle for Johnny after he grew up on a small farm in Dyess.

Part of what I really liked about this book was that it was light on personal details and heavy on analysis of Cash's music and his public persona. If you want nuggets about his relationship with June and his kids, then this is not the book for you. If you want to delve into Johnny's work and the political elements therein, then I recommend this book strongly.

[Zach · Rating 4 out of 5]

To say that we live in a politically divisive era is an understatement. It is even culturally difficult to be a moderate, because you often both sides of the aisle. We are therefore coerced to choose a side, stand our ground and criticize everyone and everything on the other side. Yet to say that this era is the only divisive era in American or world history would be extremely naïve. For there have been plenty of generations before us who were just as bad, if not worse. The question is, therefore, not are we politically divided, but how do we handle such a cultural moment. For the answer, we can look to a figure in America’s past that may surprise you: Johnny Cash. This is what author Michael Stewart Foley discusses in his book Citizen Cash: The Political Life and Times of Johnny Cash (Basic Books, 2021).

Johnny Cash was a larger than life musician who’s influence and legacy has endured long after his death. In life, Cash was a known for doing what he thought was right and could be controversial at times. Yet his is difficult to fit into a political box. As he was neither conservative or liberal, Republican or Democrat. He found himself somewhere in the middle. For example, he was known for his opposition to the war in Vietnam, but at the same time he was highly supportive of American troops. His deep personal faith manifested into standing up for the marginalized like prisoners and indigenous peoples. He is even famous for going against the network big whigs on his prime time show when he sang the lyrics “wishing Lord that I was stoned” from Kris Kristipherson’s “Sunday Morning Coming Down” because he thought it was only right to sing it the way it was originally written. Nobody could put Johnny Cash in a box.

Citizen Cash is an excellent study of the political life of the late Johnny Cash. He stands as a model for us in our politically divisive times. Yet the take away is not “be more like Johnny Cash.” The take away is to know our own convictions and be true to them. It is only then that we are being like Johnny Cash. I would highly recommend.

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

The central thesis of Michael Stewart Foley’s book is that Johnny Cash’s politics were rooted not in ideology but in the politics of empathy. By the “politics of empathy”, Foley means a politics born of identification with the oppressed and marginalized.

Stripping away the mythology surrounding Cash - the Man in Black; the outlaw; the God-fearing, flag-waving patriot - Foley aims to get to the heart of the musician’s political life. On the whole, he succeeds in rescuing Cash from ideologues of both the left and the right.

In Cash’s quest for justice for Native Americans and his prison reform advocacy, we see the man progressives love to claim as their own. The chapters detailing his engagement with these two issues are the strongest in the book. It is in these two areas, more than any other, that Cash’s politics were clear-cut and unambiguous.

On other matters, though, things are more complicated. The young Johnny Cash is revealed as a true son of the white South in his attitude towards African Americans. His use of the n-word and racist stereotypes in letters he wrote while stationed at a US military base in West Germany makes uncomfortable reading, as does his suggestion that he might have sided with the Confederacy during the Civil War. It seems he identified with Confederate soldiers as underdogs. The politics of empathy clearly has its limitations. Thankfully, the more mature man developed a better understanding of racism.

Foley dives into Cash’s relationship with Christianity and his friendship with Billy Graham in a chapter that I found particularly illuminating. It’s an area of Cash’s life that I knew little about.

Citizen Cash provides a thoughtful and well-written perspective on Johnny Cash. It made me want to listen to my two favorite Cash albums, Bitter Tears and Live at San Quentin, and that can only be a good thing.

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley to read and review.

CITIZEN CASH is a biography and analysis primarily of one aspect of the legendary artist’s life and career, which is his political views, and how they affected his decisions made that made him unique in his appeal to both political parties as he was able to avoid being tied to either side by basing his stance on individual issues based on the effect on humanity, which often related to siding with the downtrodden and disenfranchised including victims of racism and bigotry.

Excellent in-depth research helps to track the political leanings of Cash throughout his career, and his humble upbringings that were always present in his thinking of those ignored and left behind.

Understandably, in his long lifetime and career there were occasional times where there are inconsistencies (and inaccuracies based on misunderstanding) in his stances, those instances are rare and his lifetime displayed credibility (and deserving respectability) for his intentions towards his fellow man, whom most notably were the Native Americans that he believed he was related to by blood (found to be in error according to the author’s research), and to a lesser degree African Americans.

Rating this book is made a bit difficult in that while it is well written and researched, it was difficult for me to focus on the artist’s life specifically in regards to his political stand on issues for the length of an entire book, yet I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in the political thoughts and actions of Johnny Cash throughout his entire career and lifetime.

4 stars.

[Jon · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone growing up in the '60s and '70s, it's hard to remember that Johnny Cash had been a big deal for a long time when I found him. And it took longer to discern a political position, if any, from a guy who empathized with prisoners, sang about the poor and forgotten but was just this side of an evangelical a la Billy Graham (with whom he was friends). Michael Stewart Foley argues Cash's politics, which evolved considerably over his lifetime, came from personal observation and experience. He was a flag-waver but didn't shy away from acknowledging the country's failures. He recorded a string of early 1960s concept albums -- forgotten by most of us 60 years later -- that examined the plight of native Americans, slaves and other mistreated peoples. Though the political message wasn't always clear. Cash's big crossover success came not with "I Walk the Line" but his two mega-selling albums recorded in Folsom and San Quentin prisons, where he baited the guards and supported the prisoners. He came to believe prison didn't accomplish much, and that only the most dangerous to society should stay locked in those conditions. He was religious but not in the way current right-wing preachers, media stars and politicians would recognize. It's doubtful Johnny Cash would be a Trump guy, or someone supporting the marginalization of anyone who wasn't white, affluent, conservative and protestant. Foley gleans his information from interviews and returns repeatedly to the examples set during Cash's brief national TV show, which lasted only three years.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating insight in the man and times he lived…

I wanted to read this book for many reasons, the main one being the tie between Johnny Cash and my mother. She LOVED him. His music. His acting. It was someone, something, that everyone in the family enjoyed and we shared. Now, anytime his song is played we all share a smile, the remembrances very happy ones. I knew bits of the ‘legend’ of the man but didn’t understand, or appreciate, the depths of his beliefs and the road that led him to stardom. I feel now, with this book, I do…

Tracing his life, and his interests, from when he was very young, this felt part biographical with a huge slant to the issues that became his passions. His memories of growing up poor yet rich with family and faith. His participation in the army and how it fed his understanding and stance on politics, on war and peace. His struggles with drugs and alcohol. The ups and downs of fame and how, through everything, his faith in God and his love of music fed him his whole life.

This was a great read with a writing style that made even all the information it held, easy to read and absorb. This was a temporary copy and I will be adding it to my permanent shelf – it will be worth a (few) rereads for sure.

*I happily reviewed this book
**Thank you to NetGalley

[Adam · Rating 2 out of 5]

Contrary to the credulity-straining blurb for this book, Johnny Cash was not "the most important political artist of his time." Come on, man. I was skeptical going in but am even less convinced now.

Here's the primary proof the author lays out: Cash didn't like war, identified with underdogs, supported prison reform, and showcased Black artists on his TV show... when he wasn't using his show to support a war, wink at the Confederacy, or have a Bible-bromance with Billy Graham.

Foley doesn't altogether shy away from Cash's both-ways contradictions and does an admirable job of weaving historical context into a slice of Cash's sprawling catalog. Speaking of that catalog: there's no shortage of songs in there that I enjoy, for the record. But there's simply scant evidence that Cash was the outlier in the way that this book wants him to be.

The most hilarious example is when Cash covers "Highway Patrolman" and "Johnny 99" and Foley notes "he could have covered any Springsteen song he wanted, but what would have been the point of recording 'Hungry Heart' in this season of actual hunger?" Checkmate, Nina Simone, et al.

[Scott Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not meant to be the end-all/be-all for a Cash biography. It looks at Cash's history of political activism and how he used his music and fame to convey this thoughts and messages. The books looks at various themes associated with Cash, from fighting poverty, military service, rights for prisoners and Native Americans through the prism of the short-lived Johnny Cash Show in the late 1960s. Each chapter deals with his life and activism. Foley goes on the assumption that the reader has heard of Cash and knows the general details of his life. This saves space for him to focus on the themes of Cash and political activism.

If you are a Cash fan, you will appreciate the book, even if it doesn't fit into any one political ideology. If you are not, well, it might be interesting to read about one of America's top cultural icons and the impact he had on the political and cultural arena. Worth the read...and then probably worth listening to some Cash music afterwards.

[Brian Franklin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this with a friend for our own mini book club, and we loved it. The book moves mostly chronologically, but each chapter focuses on a different political/civic topic. Major topics include poverty, wartime/military, African American rights, Native American issues, prison reform, and more. The overall thesis is compelling, and frankly, very refreshing - that Johnny Cash represented a politics of empathy. He cared for his fellow humans, especially for the downtrodden and suffering. This meant that he was defined more by his actions and the causes he championed than he was by a particular political party.
The author has a great balance of music, biography, and history. I honestly thought he went a little too easy on Cash in some places, but was still overall even-handed.
Very much recommend for anyone interested in Cash, post-WW2 America, or politics/civics in general.

[Ryan Laferney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Johnny Cash' politics transcended divisions. He was no partisan. He was a free thinking rebel he wasn't always right but tried to follow what he believed. He was tolerant of wide array of perspectives. Cash's politics was based on empathy: for the poor, for the native American, for the prisoner, for the lost, for the drunk, for the solider. You want to understand this politics? Listen to the song: Man in Black.

This book is well-researched and does a great job of articulating of Johnny Cash's political worldview, which was based on love/empathy. Johnny was often a bit of a contradiction but deep down, he lived to try to lift the load of others. True art does this. You can't divorce his politics of empathy from his music. It's an integral part of what makes Cash tick.

[Tim Armstrong · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting review of Cash's political side that I feel falls a bit short of hitting the mark. There are some great insights and commentary in this book, but I feel the author didn't go far enough; didn't dig deep enough. Some of the chapters felt quite long and repetitive whereas I felt the most interesting chapters (on Native Americans and prisons) didn't go deep enough or weren’t as in depth as I’d have liked.

However, this book gave me a different perspective on Cash fantastic 1963 album "Blood, Sweat and Tears," a perspective I've never picked up on and one that totally makes sense within the context of the album. I look forward to listening to the album with that new perspective.

[Robert Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Political back story & biographic basics on Johnny Cash. Big disappointment that book didn't cover much of 1st marriage with Vivían Liberto ( Distin) nor 1950's 1960's issue with his mixed race wife !?!
Context with Nixon & Billy Graham / Hippies and Vietnam War era put song lust in context of era

[Noah Dunn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this is a fairly unbiased walk-through of the political life of Johnny Cash. The writing style is interesting and rewarding for a non-fiction read, and the various themes broken across the chapters keep the subject matter diverse.

I'd say it's a must-read for any Johnny Cash fans, and I'm definitely biased with the 5 star because I'm a massive Johnny fan.

[Michael Votano · Rating 5 out of 5]

An enjoyable, insightful book that documents the sometimes-confusing, often-misunderstood contours of Johnny Cash's political life. Cash was a complicated man, and his political views reflected the reality that political issues are never black and white. Highly recommend to anyone who is a fan of Cash and, more generally, 20th century American history.

[Kevin Dunn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Compelling analysis of Johnny Cash's politics of empathy. Foley's exploration of Cash's early career shows the complicated politics of empathy for the vulnerable, marginalized and down-trodden that informed his entire career. A great read.

[Nichola · Rating 3 out of 5]

My goodness this was detailed. And I don't know how any modern iteration of a political party can claim this complicated man, as his early upbringing, military life, religious pursuits, interests and impacts are all over the place. The only common threads are empathy and service (and music!).

[Turquoise Brennan · Rating 2 out of 5]

One of my all time favorite singers and people in history. Fascinating guy with an interesting upbringing. The writing seemed to repeat so much you often turned the page and thought you had turned backwards. Lots of interesting world and domestic history but could never find a narrative voice.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Deep empathetic portrait of Johnny Cash that complicates his place in American political history. Author positions Cash at the center of some of the county’s most contentious conflicts over the past 75 years.