Johnny Cash: He Walked the Line

Rating:
Summary: The Familiar Johnny Cash
Review: After countless biographies and two autobiographies published during his lifetime, there's not much left to write about Johnny Cash. So, Garth Campbell (note to author: Glen Brooks would have been a more convincing pseudonym), in this hastily concocted tome, elected to re-tell the Cash story by leaning heavily on four other works: Cash's own "Man in Black," June Carter Cash's "From the Heart," Albert Govini's "A Boy Named Cash," and Christopher Wren's "Winners Got Scars, Too." Campbell mentions all four in his acknowledgements, calling them "invaluable," but Cash fans familiar with these earlier books will come away from "He Walked the Line" certain that he'd read all of it before.

To cite just one example: here's Wren's 1971 account of the day Cash and his sidemen, Marshall Grant and Luther Perkins, became Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Two: "Cash walked in to see Marshall at work among his automobiles the next day. Sam Phillips had called, he said, wanting to know what they would name themselves.

"`Why don't we call ourselves the Tennessee Three?' said Cash.

"Marshall thought not. Since Cash would be doing all the singing, it really ought to be John Cash and the Tennessee Two, though in fact neither Marshall nor Luther were really from Tennessee.

"Sam Phillips wasn't quite satisfied. With an eye to the teenage market, he suggested that Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Two had a better ring. Cash didn't know. It might sound too young. Phillips reassured Cash that, at twenty-three years old, he could afford to be Johnny."

Here's Campbell's version of the same tale: "The next day, John wandered by to see Marshall at work at the automobile repair shop. Sam Phillips had just telephoned and wanted to know what they were going to call themselves.

"`How about the Tennessee Three?' volunteered John.

"Marshall gave it an instant thumbs down. Since John was doing all the singing, it ought to be John Cash and the Tennessee Two he insisted, though, in fact, none of them was actually from Tennessee.

"But Sam Phillips wasn't completely happy with that suggestion either. With an eye on the teenage market, he suggested that Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Two had a better ring to it. John was puzzled. He thought it might make him sound too young. Phillips reassured John that, at twenty-three years old, he could afford to be `Johnny.'"

Déjà vu? Nope, just good ol' American plagiarism; not surprising, perhaps, since the book was published in England. Sadly this isn't the only instance, nor even the most egregious. Even Johnny and June's own writing is lifted wholesale in places.

You'd think after recent events (Jayson Blair, anyone?), someone at John Blake Publishing would have been more careful. Hopefully there are publishing lawyers scrutinizing this cut-and-paste biography of Johnny Cash. Perhaps one day `Garth Campbell' will find himself sporting a new moniker: a Boy Named Sued.

Rating:
Summary: The Familiar Johnny Cash
Review: After countless biographies and two autobiographies published during his lifetime, there's not much left to write about Johnny Cash. So, Garth Campbell (note to author: Glen Brooks would have been a more convincing pseudonym), in this hastily concocted tome, elected to re-tell the Cash story by leaning heavily on four other works: Cash's own "Man in Black," June Carter Cash's "From the Heart," Albert Govini's "A Boy Named Cash," and Christopher Wren's "Winners Got Scars, Too." Campbell mentions all four in his acknowledgements, calling them "invaluable," but Cash fans familiar with these earlier books will come away from "He Walked the Line" certain that he'd read all of it before.

To cite just one example: here's Wren's 1971 account of the day Cash and his sidemen, Marshall Grant and Luther Perkins, became Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Two: "Cash walked in to see Marshall at work among his automobiles the next day. Sam Phillips had called, he said, wanting to know what they would name themselves.

"'Why don't we call ourselves the Tennessee Three?' said Cash.

"Marshall thought not. Since Cash would be doing all the singing, it really ought to be John Cash and the Tennessee Two, though in fact neither Marshall nor Luther were really from Tennessee.

"Sam Phillips wasn't quite satisfied. With an eye to the teenage market, he suggested that Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Two had a better ring. Cash didn't know. It might sound too young. Phillips reassured Cash that, at twenty-three years old, he could afford to be Johnny."

Here's Campbell's version of the same tale: "The next day, John wandered by to see Marshall at work at the automobile repair shop. Sam Phillips had just telephoned and wanted to know what they were going to call themselves.

"'How about the Tennessee Three?' volunteered John.

"Marshall gave it an instant thumbs down. Since John was doing all the singing, it ought to be John Cash and the Tennessee Two he insisted, though, in fact, none of them was actually from Tennessee.

"But Sam Phillips wasn't completely happy with that suggestion either. With an eye on the teenage market, he suggested that Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Two had a better ring to it. John was puzzled. He thought it might make him sound too young. Phillips reassured John that, at twenty-three years old, he could afford to be 'Johnny.'"

Déjà vu? Nope, just good ol' American plagiarism; not surprising, perhaps, since the book was published in England. Sadly this isn't the only instance, nor even the most egregious. Even Johnny and June's own writing is lifted wholesale in places.

You'd think after recent events (Jayson Blair, anyone?), someone at John Blake Publishing would have been more careful. Hopefully there are publishing lawyers scrutinizing this cut-and-paste biography of Johnny Cash. Perhaps one day 'Garth Campbell' will find himself sporting a new moniker: a Boy Named Sued.

Rating:
Summary: An interesting book - unless you want facts
Review: I waited months for this book to be released - wasn't worth the wait. I don't know about the plagiarism a previous reviewer referred to, but the book was a quickly written hack job with many inaccuracies. Example:
Johnny Cash never sang "The Ballard of Ira Hayes". At first I thought it was a typo, but the error was repeated.
The book says June Carter's first child came from her second marriage, to Rip Nixon. Must be a big surprise to Carlene Carter, June's daughter from her first marriage to Carl Smith.
Mr. Campbell says: "A bond of friendship was never to form between the two stars (Cash and Waylon Jennings)". That comment is so stupid it's not even worth discussing.
The name is Ferlin HUSKY, not Huskie.
Was it really necessary, when mentioning money, to give the equivalent in English pounds?

Rating:
Summary: An interesting book - unless you want facts
Review: I waited months for this book to be released - wasn't worth the wait. I don't know about the plagiarism a previous reviewer referred to, but the book was a quickly written hack job with many inaccuracies. Example:
Johnny Cash never sang "The Ballard of Ira Hayes". At first I thought it was a typo, but the error was repeated.
The book says June Carter's first child came from her second marriage, to Rip Nixon. Must be a big surprise to Carlene Carter, June's daughter from her first marriage to Carl Smith.
Mr. Campbell says: "A bond of friendship was never to form between the two stars (Cash and Waylon Jennings)". That comment is so stupid it's not even worth discussing.
The name is Ferlin HUSKY, not Huskie.
Was it really necessary, when mentioning money, to give the equivalent in English pounds?