The lyrics of Johnny Cash are to be collected for the first time in a new book due to be published in November.
Johnny Cash: The Life in Lyrics, by Cash with Mark Stielper, will include rare and never-before-seen visual material alongside stories and commentary from Cash’s son, John Carter Cash, and Stielper, the Cash and Carter family historian, as well as others. Visual contributions to the book are being overseen by public historian Dr Brian Dempsey.
Country music artist Cash, who died in 2003, composed more than 600 songs in his lifetime, including hits such as Folsom Prison BluesDon’t Take Your Guns to Town and I Walk the Line. Over his 45-year career he made more than 70 albums and won 11 Grammy awards.
This book is the first time the Cash estate is opening up its archive to share stories about the creation of his music with fans. John Carter Cash said there was “no better way to know my father than to look at his written works”.
“Whether the songs he recorded, his poetry, or material not published in his lifetime, he put his heart, blood and spirit into everything to which he added a pen,” he continued. “I am blessed to see this book being released, and to know that his brilliance and life are being honoured through focus on his greatest life creation, his words.”
Publisher Lee Brackstone described the book as a “portrait through lyrics, contextualising commentary, rare photography and ephemera of a man whose outlaw spirit is now deeply and irresistibly entangled with the whole concept of Americana”.
Cash sold more than 90m records worldwide and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Country Music Hall of Fame and the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
He was also a successful actor, writer, and activist. His lifelong support for SOS Children’s Villages, a nonprofit supporting and advocating for children in need, led to the creation of the Johnny Cash Memorial Fund to carry on that legacy after his death.
Johnny Cash: The Life in Lyrics by Cash with Mark Stielper is to come out on 23 November, published by White Rabbit in the UK. There will be 750 deluxe editions of the book available, costing £95 each, containing exclusive archive material and for sale in record stores only. There will also be a regular hardback edition, ebook and audiobook.
• This article was amended on 17 May 2023. A previous version said Cash composed Ring of Fire, which was actually written by June Carter and Merle Kilgore, and A Boy Named Sue, which was written by Shel Silverstein.
