As many singers, also Johnny sang duets with famous singers and met many famous persons in his branch. I can tell you only some of them: June Carter (later became his wife), Bob Dylan, Luis Armstrong, Neil Young, James Taylor, Kris Kristofferson, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins etc.
And how he got his nick "The Man in Black"? It was about year 1970. In that time he had created this image. He started to wear all only in black. Long knee length coat, also in black. In the next year he wrote song „Man in Black“ as explaining this suite.
Johnny is dead, but in our memory is still alive. Not only in CD albums, but also in many books and DVD.
Every year you can find some new re-edition of his famous songs. In 2007 it was Johnny Cash: The Great Lost Performances. There are two duets with his wife June Carter Cash and some records form his live concert in 1990. This album is already 16th after his death. And not last. His album "American V" from 2006 was in July 2007 on the top of hit-parade Billboard 200.
In this year he won Grammy: The best short music video "God's Gonna Cut You Down",Johnny Cash Tony Kaye, direction; Rachel Curl, production
In January 2008 there had to be concert as annual memory (40 years) of famous Johnny Cash shows in Folsom State Prison in California. But it wasn't. Prison officers stopped organisation, after problems with media license and trade mark. (In January 1968 Johnny Cash sang in prison coffee-bar and from this shows came very famous album. His concerts in prisons during 60-teeth became legendary. Every shows he open with words: "Hello, I'm Johnny Cash." ) His last albums are classed to alternative country.
Maybe he isn't so known, but everybody in this area known his songs.
He was born in Jule 20, 1941 in Prague. His colleges said everytime he was very civil-spoken and sensible person, not able to vulgar communication or curses. Already as small child he started to learn to play on instruments, especially on piano. In the school he played on guitar. It's interesting he had able to play almost on any musical instrument. During study period, he conducted school orchestra and ahead of school-leaving exam he presented himself in some amateurish group. He played there on trombone and contrabass. During study on University (Architectural Faculty - 1958-62) he was song writer and composer, record as actor and singer in Karkulce (Karlín kultural cabaret), later in clubs Olympic and Sluníčko. From 1962 he was engaged in Plzeň, later in Army Art Group. Here he met his future's college Miloslav Šimek and they created never to be forgotten autor and actor duet. Suchý a Šlitr engage them in SEMAFOR. Success brought their presentation humor scripts. All program consistent of scripts and songs of Naďa Urbánková, Věra Křesadlová, Miluše Voborníková, Pavel Bobek, Jiří Helekal, Jozef Laufer etc. He sang many classic songs, for example Gimmi Det Ding (Gimmi Det Ding), Pupákova píseň lásky (Pupak's love song) with Miluše Voborníková, Drahý můj (Dear John) with Naďa Urbánková, José (Jose), Vzdálené bubny (The Distant Drums), Jako kotě si příst(Too Many Chiefs Not Enough Indians), Blizard (Blizzard), Své banjo odhazuji v dál (I Throw My Banjo Away), Oh, Ruby, nechtěj mi lásku brát (Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town), Skála (We Shall Not Be Moved), Svatební průvod (Does Your Chewing Gum Lose It's Flavor (On The Bedpost Over Night)), Má dívka N (Ann), Houston (Houston), Čekej tiše (He'll Have To Go), Ano, pane Jiří (Yes, Mr. Peters), Vzdálené bubny (The Distant Drums), Závidím (I Yellow; Il ragazzo della Via Gluck) etc. His life was unfortunately very soon finished malign decease (Hodgkin's lymphoma) in December 5, 1971 (exactly 2 years later as Jiří Šlitr). On funeral many people came to say Good Bye to him. Singer Naďa Urbánková sang his song Závidím (Grossmann mummy ask her for it). This song was written by Jiří Grossmann when he had already known his end is coming. The part of this song is in his gravestone: „Vždyť já chci jen žít, jak žít se má ...“ (Well, I only want to live, live as to be}.
Today, there is remind of his memory one Prague theatre on Václav square and one Prague passage. This name was got by Miloslav Šimek, who continue with Luďek Sobota and later with Jiří Krampol, unfortunately without Grossmann nobleness.
His deathlessnes insure mainly by his great short story and shows with Miloslav Šimek. These stories came folk and sometime we forget that he was famous song writer. He played in some films (Crime in a Music Hall, Visiting Day of Miloslav Simek and Jiri Grossmann, Visiting Day No.2-6).
Her own name is Annie McGowan. She was born in December 26, 1941 in Puryear, Tennessee as Rosan Gallimore. She comes from Indian's family - Cherokee. The family was pure, she grew between acres of tobacco and cotton plants near Puryear.
She sang and played on piano in the Church. From 1954 she presented herself with group Gallimore Sisters in program Junior Grand Ole Opry. She marriaged with Max McGowan. Later Annie came to Memphis and sang blues on Beale Street. She traveled through American South and finished this tour through America in Austin, where she met Will Nelson, Bill Joe Shaver and David Allan Coe. In 1980 she recorded her own great album Rattlesnake And Rusty Water, where you can also find John Hartford, Josh Graves, Vassar Clements, Charlie McCoy. This album is combination of traditional country and blues.
Annie is the first country singer from the West, who recorded album in communistic Czechoslovakia (Last cowboy, in 1982, with Michal Tučný). In 1987 she signed contract with Columbia Record and recorded some single albums (Indian Dream, Rattlesnake Annie Sings Hank Williams). A few years she lived with her husband in Spain. It was exactly she, who brought traditional country to Japan.
In 1995 she recorded in Czech production album Adios Last Cowboy as tribute of memory to Michal Tučný.
He was famous Czech Country singer. He was born in Prague in January 11, 1947. He served out as seller in 1965.
He started to play as small child, first at piano, than on guitar and drums. First time he presented in 1967, on Festival Porta. He played there as guest of Rangers, with song Whispering Pines of Johnny Horton. He won. His cooperation with group Rangers was short, only a few months and next year he came with new group Rivals. He had still sang in English.
Breakpoint came with his arrival to Greenhorns, where Honza Vyčítal advised him to sing in Czech. From their cooperation originate hits like Folsom Prison Blues, El Paso (duet with Tomáš Linka), Red River Valley, Little Big Horn, etc.
In 1974 he stopped cooperation with Greenhorns. With Tomáš Linka and Petr Novotný established music group Fešáci. Many famous hits came especially from this period (Prodavač, Já tajně cvičím,Dávej vinu dálkám or Sundej z hodin závaží)
Everything finished in 1980. After short time he came back with his own group Tučňáci and with total new repertory. First album (Last cowboy) has hits as Poslední kovboj, Báječná ženská,Modrá z džín, Pověste ho vejš, Tam u nebeských bran or Koukám, jak celá země vstává. His success embodies in good cooperation with famous songwriter Zdeňek Rytíř and it evolved in next years.
Year 1983 brought album with American Country singer Rattlesnake Annie.
In the end of 80-tieth started his health problems. These problems were reason, why he disembody group Tučňáci.
From this time he only cooperated with amateurish or semi-professional groups (Weekend, Pavlína Jíšova, etc.).
In 1994 he decided to cooperate with group President, but unfortunately it was so late. In 1995, March 10 he died his life in consequence of malign disease.
In his person, we lost the king of the Czech Country. His strength of interpretation wasn’t only in his voice quality, but in his heart, because hearth was in his every song.
My first blog I’d like to wish to famous singer. MAN IN BLACK. You know him. His name is Johnny Cash.
He was born in Kingsland, Arkansas in February 26, 1932. After his study, in 1950, he went through many jobs with low salary. In July, the same year, he came in US Army and with army he went to Germany. During this time he learnt to play on guitar and composed first songs.
In 1954 he got married to Vivian Liberty and started to live in Memphis. He worked as seller. Here he met Luther Perkins and Marshall Grant. They played in KWEM radio without salary. Their first single Hey Porter/Cry, Cry, Cry has huge success. Their name was Johnny Cash and The Tennessee Two. Next famous single with Cash original song Folsom Prison Blues hasn’t lower success and bring engagement contract in KWKH radio.
In same time he started with his tour. His songs were on the top of country hit parade. Group changes the name to The Tennessee Three. You could see Johnny Cash also in movies (the first was Five Minutes To Live - 1958).
Many concerts, a lot of work, and high speed of live – this everything had brought him stress and he started with pills. From 1961 they cooperated with June Carter, and played in Carnegie Hall. In 1964 he met Bob Dylan. They played together on folk festival in Newport. This moment was very important in his live. Unfortunately he became addictive to pills and he was many times in the prison for drugs. His carrier grown up, but his health was bad and his private life was in zero degree. In 1966 he divorced with Vivian Cash. Some times he spent on clinic and took to the therapy.
His next matrimony with June Carter was very successful in private and also in work life. From 60-tieth he got many appreciations. The movie critics wrote about his successful role of old gunman in The Gunfight (1970). From 70-tieth he inclined to religion. He visited Israel and made the movie about life there.
During his life he sold over 90 million albums. From 1980 he is in Country Music Hall Of Fame. His life finished in September 12, 2003 in Nashville, Tennessee.
Nobody forget his greatest songs I Walk the Line, Folsom Prison Blues, Rock Island Line, Ring of Fire, Man in Black, One Piece at a Time, Dirty Old Egg-Sucking Dog, Get Rhythm, Orange Blossom Special etc.
Songs of Johnny Cash were and are still famous. That’s why you can find many versions in other languages.
For example in Czech, you can find 4 different singers with their version of Folsom Prison Blues or Orange Blossom Special.
Also many tramps (boys and girls during summer nights sit near campfire) play on guitar own versions of these songs. Many of them don’t know original, they don’t know, who composed and sang it, but they like it.
First of all, I'd like to tell why this blog start up and what you will find here. According to title, it will be about country&folk. When I was younger, more younger than today, I had read western novels. I read a book, closed my eyes and dreamt about Westland, about riding on horseback. Law and honor, it was my main rule. Always good boys were winners and bad boys finished with their faces in dust on the road. To spend time under open sky, under the stars, to listen only sounds of night on plains and to feel warm of the campfire, it was the most secret dream of myself. As the time goes, romantic dreams change to reality. It's a pity, nothing is more sweet than illusions of youth. But my love for country style is still here. I like this style, and the country songs come under that. Somebody can tell, country is past time, closed page of history. It isn't true. As other style of music, country has own history, presence and future too. I sing too (my friends and some unknown people too, says that I'm good singer). You can't find a day, when I don't think on country or I don't sing some country or folk songs. I have to tell you, I prefer Czech country. Maybe that is because Czech language is closer to my own language than English. And what you will find here? I hope that, you will find here something about country styles, some opinions and recommendations on songs and singers. Maybe, you will find here some good ideas for spending free time (festivals, presentations, appearances). You will find here also biographies of country singers, some photos, videos and etc. We can speak together about books and writers too. Or cook. I have some special recipes for campfire. :o)
My wish is to create community of people, friends who has similar interests as me, who loves to dream under trees with open eyes.
As many singers, also Johnny sang duets with famous singers and met many famous persons in his branch. I can tell you only some of them: June Carter (later became his wife), Bob Dylan, Luis Armstrong, Neil Young, James Taylor, Kris Kristofferson, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins etc. 
Johnny is dead, but in our memory is still alive. Not only in CD albums, but also in many books and DVD.
Maybe he isn't so known, but everybody in this area known his songs.
