Johnny Cash’s sister returns to their childhood home, takes visitors on ‘bittersweet’ tour

Cafe Society
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I’m not sure if many people are aware that Johnny Cash’s childhood home has been restored. The surviving members of the Cash family worked closely with Arkansas State University to restore the home as it was in the 1930’s and 40’s. The family donated several historical items to the project

It’s a special place for the Cash family. Johnny’s brother Jack died there after an accident at a sawmill. The family visits occasionally and reminisces about their lives in this small house.

I’d suggest visiting if you’re traveling through the Memphis or St Louis area. It’s worth the detour. It’s not far from Jonesboro AR. I’ve been to the Cash boyhood home exhibit twice…

State web site
http://dyesscash.astate.edu

Roseanne Cash tours the home. It hadn’t been fully furnished. A lot of exhibits have been setup that documents the family’s life.

The restoration project.

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I goofed. I thought I was in Cafe.

I’ll ask the mods to move the thread.

Rosanne Cash at the grand opening. You can see how nicely it’s been furnished.

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Moderator Action

Moving thread from GQ to Cafe Society.

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Thank you :smiley:

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Johnny’s entire family played music. His mother’s piano has been donated to the restored home.

His brother Tommy is a well known producer and musician.

His sister Joanne is a Gospel singer. She’s been performing since the early 1960’s.
Heres a song she wrote & performed. She must be in her eighties now. She still sings ok.

Johnny’s daughter, Rosanne has received many awards for her albums.

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I have to admit that I don’t really see the interest here (and I say that as someone who respects Cash for his musical contributions even if I’m not really a fan), though that’s not specifically limited to the Cash house. Cash, as far as I’m aware, never wrote any autobiographical songs which referenced his childhood (obviously there are other autobiographical songs such as Folsom Prison Blues). ISTM this is primarily a cash grab (no pun intended) based on the popularity of Walk the Line.

To use a contrary example, Mark Twain’s childhood home in Hannibal is historically significant because some of his works include descriptions of it. So it makes sense for it to be maintained as a museum.

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How High is the Water Mama is autobiographical

It’s Johnny’s culture I identify with. My dad’s father was a sharecropper for much of his life. He eventually bought his own land. He always plowed with a mule and refused to use a tractor. My dad’s childhood mirrored Johnny’s childhood. They were only five years apart in age. My dad was born in 27 and Johnny in 32. They both lived through the depression and saw older family members serve in WWII.

A lot of people’s farming roots are only one or two generations away.

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(my bolding) Johnny Cash was never in prison, nor did he ever shoot anyone, in Reno or anywhere else.

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He served seven (separate) nights in jail. Close enough.

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All of them long after he wrote Folsom Prison Blues.

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Johnny’s background gave him an appreciation for the downtrodden and he knew what it was like to live in poverty.

He did sometimes let the “I’m a star” nonsense lead him astray. But, he always returned to his roots and sang for the people struggling to make it.

Merle Haggard came from similar circumstances and was much the same way.

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Okay, then we don’t have to preserve his jail either. :slight_smile:

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I heard that his daddy sang bass.

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For some reason, whenever that song pops into my head I always think “mama sang bass, daddy sang tenor”.

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I’ve been to Johnny and June’s grave. Across the street from a Lowe’s.

My wife owns Johnny’s black Tag Heuer watch.

I got to see his Hendersonville house before Barry Gibb bought it and burned it down.