Hello, I'm Johnny Cash

If you wake up some morning and find they are doing a film of your amazing life with a companion tribute concert (cd/dvd available in deluxe packaging) with all the current stars who ignored you in the later years of your life (or never even knew you were still alive), BEWARE! - you're most likely dead.

But if you get Jerry Lee Lewis to perform, it might almost be worth it!

Jerry Lee Lewis Rocks Johnny Cash Tribute
By Beth Harris, Associated Press Writer

LOS ANGELES - Jerry Lee Lewis stole the show from Norah Jones and Kid Rock when the musicians performed at a taping of a Johnny Cash tribute. Lewis teamed with Kid Rock on the Cash classic "I Walk the Line." An upcoming biopic that goes by a similar name and stars Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon will be released in theaters Nov. 18.

Lewis later returned to the stage of the Pantages Theater in Hollywood, where the performances were taped Tuesday night for "I Walk the Line: A Night for Johnny Cash," airing Nov. 16 on CBS. Waiting for stagehands to make adjustments, a few fans yelled out to Lewis to perform his hit "Great Balls of Fire." "I know what you'd like to hear. I know what I'd like to do," said the 70-year-old singer. "They got me down for a little bit lower key."

To entertain the restless crowd, Lewis started in on "Will the Circle Be Unbroken." After a few verses, the stage crew cut him off and the audience booed. It was just a false start, though. Once the cameras were ready, Lewis played the entire song, with the crowd on its feet, clapping and singing along. "I guess that was a take," Lewis said, smiling.

Jones was accompanied by Phoenix on guitar as she sang "Home of the Blues." Kris Kristofferson and Jones sang "Guess Things Happen That Way." Shooter Jennings and his mother, Jessi Colter, who was married to Waylon Jennings, teamed up for a rollicking version of "Jackson." Other performers tackling Cash tunes were Martina McBride, Allison Krauss and Dwight Yoakam. Also on the show are Sheryl Crow, Coldplay, U2, Brad Paisley and Montgomery Gentry.

It's the second time the network has organized a music special tied to a major movie. CBS also promoted Jamie Foxx's Oscar-winning portrayal of Ray Charles with a star-studded tribute show.

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Johnny Cash & Million Dollar Quartet
On December 4, 1956 a recording session with Car Perkins was winding down. Jerry Lee Lewis had been playing piano on the session. Presley had called in and was listening to the playbacks. They started singing and playing together and Phillips called newspaperman Robert Johnson saying that there might be a story and photo opportunity. Phillips also called Johnny Cash, who was on Sun's books at that time. Even though Presley was now signed with RCA, Phillips switched on the mikes and recorder while the jam session took place, with a range of country, gospel and hits of the day. The session later came to be known as the Million Dollar Quartet jam session.

A mix of rock 'n' roll and country music brought about a short-lived style known as rockabilly. Johnny Cash was one of rockabilly's first Stars. Johnny Cash lived close to Sun Records and had been rehearsing regularly with guitarist Luther Perkins and Marshal Grant who had just started playing bass. He felt that they had it right and started calling in at Sun every day asking to see Mr Phillips, but always told he was not in yet, or he was at a meeting. Finally Cash was waiting outside when Phillips came into work. He said "I'm John Cash and I want you to hear me play." Phillips invited Cash in and liked what he heard, inviting Cash to return with his group. Excerpt from The Sun Rose
and The World Rocked from Golden Graham Online website.

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Cash sets posthumous new record on album chart By Fred Bronson
LOS ANGELES (Billboard) - More than 46 years after making his first appearance on the Billboard album chart, Johnny Cash has rewritten chart history by coming up with the highest-debuting title of his career.

"The Legend of Johnny Cash," the 41st charting album by the Man in Black, entered The Billboard 200 at No. 11 in the week ended October 30, as promotional efforts gather momentum ahead of the November 18 release of the Cash movie "Walk the Line." That makes this new set the third highest-charting album of Cash's career. The only two LPs to chart higher were "Johnny Cash at San Quentin" (No. 1 for four weeks in 1969) and "Hello, I'm Johnny Cash" (No. 6 in 1970). Pushed down to fourth place is "Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison" (No. 13 in 1968). - complete article - CD review