Today's Country

Cash was born in Arkansas, one of seven children in his family, and eight years after his brother, Johnny Cash. He formed his first band in high school. After high school graduation, he enlisted into the army. While in the army, he was a disc jockey for the American Forces Radio Network. After the army, Cash played with Hank Williams, Jr., and later gained a record deal from Musicor Records in 1965. A year later, he joined United Artists Records and just missed the Country Top 40 in 1968 with “The Sounds of Goodbye.” In late 1969, while on Epic Records, he delivered his biggest hit, a tune dedicated to John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King, entitled, "Six White Horses.” Cash continues to tour around the world and took time to sit down to talk with us.

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Tommy Cash - "Fade To Black" Review

1. You released your album “Fade To Black,” in September 2008. What can people expect to hear when they hit play?

Well there’s a variety of songs on that album. There’s some songs that I wrote and there’s some standards that I’ve always wanted to record like “Skip A Rope” and “Wings of a Dove” and there’s some duets. There’s one with George Jones on a song I wrote called “Some Kind of a Woman” and then there’s a duet with Marty Stuart and he sings with me on the remake of one of my older hits “Six White Horses”, and several other songs. I’m real proud of this album.

2. On the album you had the opportunity to record duets with some of country music’s legends such as Marty Stuart on “Six White Horses” and George Jones on “Some Kind Of Woman.”  How did that come about and what was it like to record with them?

Well I’ve known George Jones for 40 years and I called him up and I said I’ve got a song that I’m gonna record and I could just hear you singing the choruses. So he said send me a CD on it and let me listen to it so I did and he listened to it and called me up and said I think that song’s a hit. And he said he’d come so we arranged a time for him to come out to the studio and he did put his voice on the choruses and it turned out just great. Marty Stuart is a long time family member. I mean he was married to my niece Cindy for several years and I’ve know Marty since he was a teenager. And I asked him if he would like to sing a duet on my new album and he said “Yah, let’s do Six White Horses”. I’ve always loved that song”.  And I said well thank you. He came to the studio and not only sang on it but played on it, he played some real good guitar licks throughout the song and it was a thrill to have him on the album. Also, my son Mark sang a duet with me on “Walk the Line” and he also sang harmony on “San Quentin”. My sister JoAnn, her thing is gospel music, and she sang with me on “Wings of a Dove”.

3. The first single released from the album is “The Rambling Kind.” Why did you choose this song to first represent your new album to country radio?

Well, I think the record labels thinking was that they would release this because it was up tempo and it had a good message to it. And then they would come back with a stronger song on the album which is probably the one with George Jones. So I really didn’t have anything to do with making the decisions that the record label did and they shipped it out to some radio around the country and the next single will be with George Jones.

4. You have also included a couple of songs made popular by your brother, Johnny.  One of which, “Walk The Line” you sing as a duet with your son, Mark.  How did it feel to share this experience with him and why did you choose this song for the duet?

Well, he and I have always liked to record together. We’ve done other songs in the past and I chose the song and I said why don’t you sing every other verse and he came to the studio and did a great job. He’s probably a better singer than I am and he’s got a good vocal delivery on the song and while he was there I had him put harmony on “San Quentin”.

5. Which one song from the album is your personal favorite and why?

Well, it’s hard to pick a favorite on the album except the duet with George Jones is an honor for me to have him sing with me on one of my songs. He did one several years ago on my 25^th anniversary album but it was a thrill to have him come and sing a duet with me again and I guess that’s my favorite song on the album. The other favorite song on the album is “The Rambling Kind” that’s a song I wrote in 1964 but I never recorded it myself. I pitched it to other people but nobody had a hit with it so I wanted to put it in this album. It’s the first song I ever wrote actually.

6. For someone that has never seen one of them what does your live show offer that just spinning the album doesn’t?

Well, my live show is a family show. You know we do songs for every age group all the way from kids all the way up to senior adults. It’s a variety of songs, some Johnny Cash songs, some of my songs, a little bit of comedy, and a gospel song or two. It’s a variety of songs and I’m real proud of our stage show. We’ve been doing a tribute to my brother Johnny Cash Tribute Show but I’m starting to put more of my songs back into the show.

7. What is your opinion on the current brand of mainstream country?

Well, these people are very talented. Some of them sound alike and I think that’s the fault of the engineers and the producers but some of the guys and gals can really sing I mean they are very talented. The only thing that worries me are some of the songs that they do are mediocre and don’t have a lasting impression. I mean when you hear Merle Haggard’s “Okie From Muskogee” you know that’s Merle Haggard and you know that song. So I think that people like Alan Jackson and Kenny Chesney and some of the newer acts, truthfully I don’t know a lot of the brand new acts. I’ve never worked with them and never been around them, but they have great music. Some of them are great writers, Tim McGraw is a great singer and he chooses wonderful material and I think these people are super talented I just wish they had some originality to them. And many of them do, Alan Jackson does and if I had a list of all the major stars in front of me I could comment on many of them but I don’t have a list in front of me.

8. What stars of today do you find yourself listening to and is there any you’d love the chance to duet with?

I listen to all the new artists cause I have my radio on all the time, especially in the car. I’d love to do a duet with Alan Jackson in fact I have a song that I’d like to pitch to him. A song that I wrote, but he writes his own songs and probably wouldn’t be interested in recording with me or anyone else at this time, but I would love to do a duet with him. Also, Martina McBride, Faith Hill and Kelli Pickler. I like her singing and I’d like to do a duet with one of them as well.

9. Throughout the years as the country landscape has continued to change, what about your music do you feel has kept it relevant?

I don’t worry about trying to keep it relevant. I just sing what I like to sing and write what I like to write and songs like I feel I can do a vocal on. And as long as I’m able to do that and stay healthy I’ll continue to record. But I’m not trying to stay up with the times I’m just recording songs that I like and love the songs I’ve written.  The Nashville musicians are absolutely fantastic and we get a great sound on any song that we record but I’m happy with where I am at my age.

10. What piece of advice can you offer to someone that is looking to break into the country music industry? 

That’s a really tough assignment today. There seems to be hundreds of singers and very few spots on record labels. It’s very tough to break in but if you feel like you have talent and you feel that you have something to offer then just keep on singing. Don’t give up. Sing everywhere you can and try to come to Nashville and knock on some doors and get to know some of the song writers and producers. And if you can afford to live here get a job and a place to live and while you’re working still make time to pursue your music career. A lot of people come to Nashville and they just bring enough money with them to last a couple of weeks or maybe a little more or less and when that money runs out they head back home.  My advice is if you’re coming to Nashville to break into the music industry you need to get a job and a place to live and pursue your career. Now a lot of people try to pursue their career in other places but Nashville is where country music is happening. Austin, Texas is another place.