JONESBORO — A huge photo of the late Johnny Cash towered over the performers who assembled Thursday night at Arkansas State University’s Convocation Center for the first Johnny Cash Music Festival, which featured Cash family members and friends in a star-studded extravaganza.
Close to four hours of music, stories and photos projected on the stage backdrop entertained a sold-out crowd of 7,000, who turned out in the August heat to honor Arkansas’ most acclaimed musician at what is hoped will be the first such annual gathering. The debut festival raised $310,000 to aid in funding the restoration of Cash’s boyhood Dyess home in nearby Mississippi County.
Rosanne Cash started the show with historical family remarks and set the mood with “Pickin’ Time,” as images of cotton fields and field hands filled the screen behind her and the seven person band that backed up most of the performers. She was followed by Kris Kristofferson, who, despite a bit of hoarseness, thrilled the crowd with versions of “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down,” “Good Morning, John,” “Here Comes That Rainbow Again,” “Me and Bobby McGee” and “Big River.”
Next up was John Carter Cash, Johnny’s only boy child, who brought his wife, Laura, out of the house band where she played fiddle, to accompany him on one of the duets that Johnny and June Carter Cash had famously sung: Tim Hardin’s sweet “If I Were a Carpenter,” which was followed by Laura’s version of a Carter family classic, “Keepon the Sunny Side.”
Tommy Cash sang his older brother’s hits “Five Feet High and Rising” and “I Walk the Line,” then introduced sister Joann, who sang a touching version of “It’s Suppertime.”
The show was nearly stolen by bluegrass stars Dailey & Vincent, who clowned around a bit on a fun version of “Daddy Sang Bass,” to the great pleasure of fans, who were, of course, snapping photos all night long, especially when George Jones came out to do several songs. Jones finished with “He Stopped Loving Her Today,” after which he was surprised by performers singing “Happy Birthday to You.”
Gary Morris followed with his “Wind Beneath My Wings,” a clear crowd favorite, and briefly choked up as he introduced his son, himself the possessor of an impressive voice, with the two tackling the lovely Leonard Cohen classic, “Hallelujah.”
Rodney Crowell told the story of how his life changed when he heard Cash singing “I Walk the Line” on the family Ford car radio; he then brought out John Carter Cash to sing the part of the senior Cash on Crowell’s “I Walk the Line (Revisited).” One of the show’s most humorous moments came when Rosanne Cash commented on the awkwardness of singing with exhusband Crowell while her current husband, John Leventhal, played guitar behind them. Luckily, Leventhal gave them his blessing.
Chelsea Crowell, one of the four daughters of Rodney and Rosanne, joined her parents and step-dad Leventhal for a couple of songs, before yielding to Rosanne, who poured it on with her own hit, “Seven Year Ache,” then did similarly fine work on “Radio Operator” (which featured hot electric guitar work by Jamie Hartford, son of the late John Hartford) and “Tennessee Flat-top Box.” Kristofferson was back for “Why Me Lord” as the concert wound downas 11 p.m. closed in.
And yes, all the performers were dressed in black (until at concert’s end, when additional family members were invited on-stage for a rousing version of “Will the Circle Be Unbroken” and some were not in black.)
Arkansas, Pages 17 on 08/06/2011