Hello, I'm.....................

I have become a huge Johnny Cash fan. I confess here that I came to know him and got interested in his life and songs only after I watched "Walk the Line" sometime last year. Quite a shame that I hadn't known him well. But I think I can blame my blindness on this casual reference about him as "country singer". In modern male country singers, I only like George Strait. Rest, just guys with cowboy hats to me. I'd rather listen to female singers (yeah, like June Carter-Cash!!) because they really use their voices rather than showing off dancing or using heavy music behind them.

Anyway, I don't have to explain that Johnny Cash is truly one of the biggest American icons. If you want to dig in more, like I did, you can drop by here. Little did I knew, he worked with Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Bob Dylan (just to name a few) who were respected by The Beatles (I'm a Beatlemania also!!). His songs are out of genres, in other words, all kinds of genres. He is not a "country singer in white hat". He is a "Man in Black". I personally came to very fond of his "WH" pronunciation as heard in when, why, what, where, etc. It is so distinctive.

As I was more into his life and songs, I finally bought two "Prison Concert" box sets that I think probably one of the tops of his career.


First of all, the third discs in both box sets are the priceless DVDs. Then one in "At Folsom" is a documentary (not the concert film) but the one in "At San Quentin" can be seen at you-tube in various clips.
Type in "johnny cash san quentin".

My best line is; after he blasted "San Quentin, I hate every inch of you". Inmates called for one more time. Then Johnny said "if any of the guards are still speaking to me, can I have a glass of water?"


Why am I posting this kind of personal interest at my fly-fishing blog? Well, since I often hike into mountains by myself here in eastern WA and Yellowstone National Park, I have to sing to let bears know that I am there and sometimes to encourage myself to go on the trails. I found Johnny Cash songs fit the best.

As I am walking, the first song comes to my mouth is obviously "I walk the line". Since nobody is around me, I often try to make a chorus for "Daddy sang bass", just to name a few!!

Tomorrow I will make probably the last camp for this summer. I kind of feel the touch of fall very soon. My kind of easy car-camp will be cold soon.