The Johnny Cash Show (TV series)

The Johnny Cash Show was an American television music variety show presented by Johnny Cash. The 58-episode series ran from June 7, 1969 to March 31, 1971 on ABC. The show reached no. 17 in the Nielsen ratings in 1970.

Johnny Cash opened the show each time, and its regulars included members of his touring troupe, June Carter Cash (his wife) and the Carter Family, The Statler Brothers, Carl Perkins, and The Tennessee Three, with Australian-born musical director-arranger-conductor Bill Walker. The Statler Brothers performed brief comic interludes.

It featured many folk/country musicians of the time, such as Bob Dylan, Linda Ronstadt, Kris Kristofferson, Mickey Newbury, Neil Young, Merle Haggard, James Taylor and Tammy Wynette. It also featured other musicians such as jazz great, Louis Armstrong, who died eight months after recording the show.

History

The show started with an hour-long tryout offered by the ABC as "a summer replacement for their Saturday Night variety extravaganza "The Hollywood Palace". Kienzle, Rich (2007) "Notes for "The Best of the Johnny Cash TV Show" DVD Boxed Set (Reverse Angle Productions)] While Cash had a large degree of freedom, he "had to accept some compromises by hosting showbiz royalty like Bob Hope, George Gobel, Kirk Douglas, Burl Ives, Peggy Lee and Lorne Greene. They gave the show gravitas that satisfied both advertisers and the network".

The show was recorded at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium, then home of the Grand Ole Opry. The first show featured Joni Mitchell, Cajun fiddler Doug Kershaw, Fannie Flagg as a comic, and Bob Dylan.

The show included a "Country Gold" segment which featured legends rarely or never seen on network TV such as Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys. Kienzle suggests that as well as providing entertainment, the show operated as a "Country Music 101".

Johnny Cash persisted in the face of ABC "network anxieties" on several occasions. He refused to cut the word "stoned" from Kris Kristofferson's "Sunday Morning Coming Down", he stood by his Christian faith "despite network anxieties", and persisted in bringing on Pete Seeger whose anti-Vietnam song on another network had "caused a firestorm". He premiered his "Man in Black" song on an episode filmed at Nashville's Vanderbilt University's campus.

The show was dumped in 1971 as part of ABC's part of the so-called "rural purge," which also claimed that network's "The Lawrence Welk Show".

"The Best of The Johnny Cash TV Show"

A DVD set featuring 66 live performances from the show, called "The Best of The Johnny Cash TV Show", was released in Region 1 on September 18, 2007.

Tracklist:

"DVD 1"
# Johnny Cash - Ring Of Fire
# Bob Dylan - I Threw It All Away
#:*From season 1, episode 1, originally aired 7. June 1969.
# Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash - Girl From The North Country
#:*From season 1, episode 1, originally aired 7. June 1969.
# Kris Kristofferson - Loving Her Was Easier (Than Anything I'll Ever Do Again)
# Louis Armstrong and Johnny Cash - Blue Yodel #9
#:*From season 2, episode 6, originally aired 28. October 1970.
# Stevie Wonder - Heaven Help Us All
#:*From season 2, episode 8, originally aired 11. November 1970.
# Creedence Clearwater Revival - Bad Moon Rising
#:*From season 1, episode 15, originally aired 27. September 1969.
# Linda Ronstadt and Johnny Cash - I Will Never Marry
# George Jones - Medley (White Lightning with Johnny Cash, She Thinks I Still Care, Love Bug, The Race Is On)
# Johnny Cash - Hey Porter
# Waylon Jennings - Medley (Only Daddy That'll Walk The Line, The Singing Star's Queen, Brown Eyed Handsome Man)
# Tammy Wynette - Stand By Your Man
#:*From season 2, episode 17, originally aired 28. January 1971.
# Marty Robbins - Medley (Big Iron, Running Gun, El Paso)
#:*From season 1, episode 17, originally aired 28. January 1970.
# Johnny Cash - Come Along And Ride This Train
# Johnny Cash - As Long As The Grass Shall Grow
# Johnny Cash - Man In Black
# James Taylor - Sweet Baby James
#:*From season 2, episode 20, originally aired 17. February 1971.
# Pete Seeger and Johnny Cash - Cripple Creek
# Pete Seeger and Johnny Cash - Worried Man Blues
# Johnny Cash - Sunday Morning Coming Down
# Johnny Cash - Old Time Religion
# Johnny Cash, The Carter Family, The Statler Brothers, Carl Perkins and The Tennessee Three - Daddy Sang Bass
# Mother Maybelle and The Carter Sisters - Wildwood Flower
# Neil Young - The Needle And The Damage Done
#:*From season 2, episode 20, originally aired 17. February 1971.
# Johnny Cash and The Tennessee Three - Tennessee Flat Top Box
# Joni Mitchell and Johnny Cash - The Long Black Veil
#:*From season 1, episode 6, originally aired 19. July 1969.
# Johnny Cash and The Tennessee Three with Carl Perkins - Big River

"DVD 2"
# Johnny Cash - I Walk The Line
# June Carter Cash - A Good Man
# Derek and the Dominos - It's Too Late
#:*From season 2, episode 14, originally aired 6. January 1971.
# Derek and the Dominos with Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins - Matchbox
# Charley Pride - Able Bodied Man
# Chorus & Johnny Cash - Country Gold Intro
# Bill Monroe And His Blue Grass Boys - Blue Moon Of Kentucky
#:*From season 2, episode 8, originally aired 11. November 1970.
# Loretta Lynn - I Know How
#:*From season 1, episode 30, originally aired 29. April 1970.
# Jerry Lee Lewis - Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On
# Johnny Cash - Ride This Train
# Johnny Cash - America The Beautiful
# Johnny Cash - This Land Is Your Land
# The Everly Brothers with Ike Everly and Johnny and Tommy Cash - That Silver Haired Daddy Of Mine
# Ray Charles - Ring Of Fire
# Johnny Cash - A Boy Named Sue
# Conway Twitty - Hello Darlin'
# Mother Maybelle Carter - Black Mountain Rag
# Tony Joe White and Johnny Cash - Polk Salad Annie
# Glen Campbell - Wichita Lineman
#:*From season 2, episode 10, originally aired 25. November 1970.
# Neil Diamond - Cracklin' Rosie
# Ray Price - For The Good Times
# Roy Orbison - Cryin'
#:*From season 1, episode 15, originally aired 27. September 1969.
# Roy Orbison and Johnny Cash - Pretty Woman
#:*From season 1, episode 15, originally aired 27. September 1969.
# Johnny Cash - Wanted Man
# Chet Atkins and Johnny Cash - Recuerdo De La Alhambra
# Chet Atkins - Medley (Back Home in Indiana, Country Gentleman, Mister Sandman, Wildwood Flower, Freight Train)
#:*From season 1, episode 30, originally aired 29. April 1970.
# June Carter Cash with Homer And Jethro - Baby, It's Cold Outside
# Merle Haggard - No Hard Times
# Merle Haggard and Johnny Cash - Sing Me Back Home
# Carl Perkins - Blue Suede Shoes
#:*From season 2, episode 16, originally aired 21. January 1971.
# Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, The Carter Family and The Statler Brothers - The Old Account Was Settled Long Ago
# Roy Clark - Medley (In The Summertime, 12th Street Rag)
#:*From season 1, episode 6, originally aired 19. July 1969.
# The Statler Brothers - Flowers On The Wall
# Johnny Cash - Working Man Blues
# Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash - Jackson
# Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash - Turn Around
# Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash - I Love You Because
# Hank Williams Jr. - Medley (You Win Again, Cold Cold Heart, I Can't Help It If I'm Still In Love With You, Half As Much)
# Johnny Cash - A Wonderful Time Up There

ee also

*"The Johnny Cash Show" (album)

External links

* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063919/ "The Johnny Cash Show" on the IMDB]
* [http://www.tv.com/the-johnny-cash-show/show/8950/summary.html On TV.com]

Notes