Episode #32 | 5.28.19

Johnny Cash: Pills, More Pills, and Playing with Fire

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In this episode

Johnny Cash was took no shit. Was a total original. Could maneuver that big baritone around a ballad or a rave up like nobody’s business. He also burned down a national forest, crashed cars, overdosed, was arrested for drug trafficking and obsessed with June Carter. Their love affair is one for the ages. Through it all, Johnny maintained his sense of empathy and his big heart. His story is unlike any other. Listen to Disgraceland to hear how Johnny Cash played with fire both figuratively and literally.

 
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Sources

My Father and the Man In Black directed by Jonathan Holiff

The Saul Holiff Archives, access provided by Jonathan Holiff

Cash: The Autobiography by Johnny Cash

Walk The Line

Johnny Cash Once Burnt Down A National Forest and Other Stories From His FBI File

Disgraceland is a podcast about musicians getting away with murder and behaving very badly. It melds music history, true crime and transgressive fiction. Disgraceland is not journalism. Disgraceland is entertainment. Entertainment inspired by true events. However, certain scenes, characters and names are sometimes fictionalized for dramatic purposes.

 

Extra Credit

Writing assistance for this episode by Chris O’Keeffe and editing by Pat Healy. Special thanks to Jonathan Holliff.

Music

Score by Jake Brennan. 

Mixed and Engineered by Sean Cahalin.

Disgraceland theme song, "Crenshaw Space Boogie" written and produced by Jake Brennan. Performed by Jake Brennan, Bryce Kanzer, Jay Cannava and Evan Kenney. Mixed and engineered by Adam Taylor. Additional music and score elements by Ryan Spraker. Ad music by Ian Kennedy.

*illustrations by Avi Spivak @avispivak