I Still Miss Someone: Friends and Family Remember Johnny Cash

All of us who followed the music and life of Johnny Cash;knew from the beginning of his musical career in the laste 50's that there was something special about this man. He came to most of us by his music and shows but we always knew he was a man who first of all knew and loved his God. The name Pilgrim was often associated with him;but the name Disciple would be just as fitting. I have followed ,listened to and read about him for about 50 years,but I can honestly say that the real truth about what Johnny Cash was really like is not any better shown than in this book. How he was seen and loved by those who really knew him,loved him,worked with him,family members,and people who considered him a friend and at the same time he considered a friend. Over 40 people got the honor to say what Johnny meant to them and what kind of a man and friend he was. One thing that is obvious from reading this book of over 300 pages and over 40 people,is that there must be thousands of others that knew him as well and if they had the same opportunity would have similar things to say. It is so obvious Johnny loved life ,how much his family meant to him,and how much he respected those around the music business. If anyone in the public arena ever gave the impression that as he journeyed throuh life;his friend and Savior Jesus Christ was always by his side;it had to be him. Millions of us admired Cash;but what a privilege it must have been to have been close to him. No wonder a great personal loss is seen in the stories each participant has to tell. As we continue to listen to his music;this book will remind us what a Legend "The Man in Black" really was. I am sure that when he finally met his God,he probably said something like;"Thanks Lord, for the privilege to have served you and my fellow man.I did the best I could ,and it's good to be home with you" After you read this book,why not sit down and think or write about what Johnny Cash meant to you.

OK, with all the hype about the movie, Walk the Line, and living in Nashville as I do...and hearing Johnny Cash's name everywhere you turn...I hesitated going to see the movie "just because". Well. I somehow ended up seeing it, (long story for another day.) And let me just say that much to my chagrin, I LOVED the movie. So now I've been on a Johnny Cash rampage, listening, watching, and reading everything I can get my hands on. Yes, I succumbed. Call me weak. This title looked interesting to me because it's written by people who knew him on a day to day basis. There's a chapter written by the guy who kept his farm, for gosh sakes! You just feel the love seeping from the pages. I wept, I laughed, I've read it again, and again. For readers who might be wondering what all the shoe size business is about here in the reviews (I know I wondered before receiving the book)...Hugh says in the book that Johnny always said he had "itchy feet". He always needed to be doing something and going somewhere different. Johnny said "Everyone has itchy feet, some just itch more than others." So at the beginning of everyone's chapter is that person's shoe size. Just one more quirky little reason why this book has earned a place on my 'favorites' shelf. As a Nashvillian, I would like to say: We are proud of our 'Cash heritage' and this book lays it all on the line. Thank you, Hugh Waddell for such a wonderful gift that I'm sure even JRC's family will treasure for years and years. May Nashville, TN Shoe size: 7.5

If you're a Johnny Cash fan, a country music historian, a lover of Southern literature, or someone who just likes a great read, you'll love this book. Hugh Waddell has hit upon a brilliant biographical device. Instead of an anthology of recollections by Johnny Cash's peers in the entertainment world, this book is a compilation of reminiscences from plain folks, family members, business and music friends, who knew him close-up and personal. Their insights and their informal photographs and private handwritten correspondences add much to the expanding canon of biographical works devoted to Johnny Cash.

Opening the covers of Hugh Waddell's book is a bit like opening a treasure chest and discovering new jewels each time. In "I Still Miss Someone," 43 contributors share their own stories and mementoes that defined their own personal relationship with the Man in Black. Though it's hard to pick any favorites, some just 'get you right there'...."Cowboy" Jack Clement's poem "My Friend, The Famous Person" (which he read at Johnny's funeral), is one of them. Another is by Johnny's former hairdresser Penni Lane (her words will catch in your throat), and one by #1 Fan Dennis Devine, who recalls his last words to Johnny at June's funeral. There's also a chapter by Luther Fleaner - who cared for Johnny's Bon Aqua farm - that's filled with such rich dialogue you'll feel you're eavesdropping in person. When you're ready for a laugh, there's drummer W.S. Holland's chapter on John and the Tennessee Three being stopped by a policeman on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, and Chance Martin's story about Linda Ronstadt's...uh hem...wardrobe malfunction on The Johnny Cash Show. Hugh has compiled a one-of-a-kind book filled with a host of Johnny's hand-scrawled notes and never-before-published photos that will tug at your heartstrings faster than Johnny could pick a guitar. It's a brilliant tribute, right down to the exceptional -- and befitting -- last page. Jody Ewing Onawa, Iowa Shoe Size 8

Very special thanks to Hugh Waddell, for creating such an awesome portrait of Johnny Cash. I will treasure this book for the rest of my life. You will all love this book. You will learn some things about Johnny that may make you laugh. Some things may make you cry. It is a beautiful journey. Kelly Hancock Hendersonville, Tennessee Shoe size 7 1/2