In honor of what would have been Johnny Cash's 80th birthday, we asked a few music-minded folks which were their favorite songs from the man in black. Here's the responses.
Jack Hill, longtime entertainment writer and music lover who got to interview Cash once upon a time.
- Ring of Fire
- Five Feet High and Rising
- It Ain't Me, Babe
- If I Were a Carpenter
- Jackson
- Big River
- Pickin' Time
- I Walk the Line
- Get Rhythm
- A Boy Named Sue
Pat 'Flap' Jones, host of Not Necessarily Nashville on KUAR. Visit her blog at http://notnecessarilynashville.blogspot.com/
- Ring of Fire - Written by June Carter Cash, makes it twice as good
- I Walk The Line
- Don’t Take Your Guns To Town
- Folsom Prison Blues
- Ballad of Ira Hayes - My mother’s favorite song, she was a huge J Cash fan, shared a birthday with him
- Man In Black
- The Man Comes Around
- Suppertime
- Get Rhythm
- I Walk The Line - Rodney Crowell w/J Cash from The Houston Kid
Philip Martin, critic, columnist and blogger. In fact, read his blog about Cash on his 79th birthday at his blog.
- Delia's Gone
- I Still Miss Someone
- Don't Take Your Guns to Town
- Hurt
- Cocaine Blues
- God's Gonna Cut You Down
- I Walk the Line
- Jackson (with June Carter)
- Folsom Prison Blues
- Ring of Fire
Ellis Widner, Style section editor and all-around music man.
- “Hurt,” Trent Reznor’s song, on American IV: The Man Comes Around
- “Ring of Fire,” 1963.
- “Delia’s Gone,” The Sound of Johnny Cash and American Recordings. The latter version chills to the bone.
- “Get Rhythm,” 1956, flip side of ...
- “I Walk the Line.”
- “Tennessee Flat-Top Box,” 1961
- “Understand Your Man,” 1964
- “Highwayman,” with Kris Kristofferson and Waylon Jennings
- “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” from American IV: The Man Comes Around
- “Jackson,” with June Carter.
