Tour Through the Johnny Cash Museum

I caught my first museum in Nashville on a recent visit - the Johnny Cash Museum, right downtown.  For many years, Cash was a resident of Henderson, right near my folk's retirement home, so it was fun to learn more about his life as well as his music.  Click on any of the pictures in my blog to enlarge them.

One of the neatest features showed portraits of Johnny through the decades, with timelines of the pertinent facts of his life.  Cash had such a long career, which in itself is a feat.  His longevity really struck me seeing the portraits all lined up side by side.

The museum opens with his original musical partners, the Tennessee Two.  Their original amp is there, and throughout the museum there are many cards written in Johnny's own handwriting explaining the exhibits.  

The panels on Cash's life in Dyess, AL covered his early years growing up on a family farm.  

There was also a nice section detailing Cash's military service.  He was a morse code intercept operator, who was the first to hear the Russian's transmission about Stalin's death.

The early years of Johnny's recording and performing history are covered in detail, including the fan club run by his sister.   His personal life was always entwined with his music, so it's covered in parallel by the exhibits. 

It was interesting to learn about Johnny's  touring life as he became famous:  the costumes that he had custom made, the photo array of his kids that he kept with him, his contract as an AFofM musician. 

 

There was interesting memorabilia from Cash's early television appearances, including a variety show, and June Carter Cash's dress she wore to the White House just weeks after giving birth.

 

 

Cash's years at Sun Records, and his contemporary influences including W.S. Holland, Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis, and even Elvis make up the middle of the exhibit.

The Cash family piano resides in the museum in a place of prominence.   To say Cash was prolific is an understatement.  Ninety six studio albums are listed in Cash's discography.  Collaborations, compilations, foreign albums and soundtracks bring the total to over 500 albums. 

Johnny's dream home in Henderson is profiled in the latter part of the exhibit.  Custom furniture and even a portion of the rock wall used in an album cover are on display.

The memorabilia and artifacts from the seventies forward continue in the final hallway of the exhibit, delving into Johnny's creative processes and other mediums, including collaborations as part of the Highwaymen, acting, writing of his biography, his humanitarian causes, and explorations of faith.

The Cash Exhibit ends with a poster of interesting facts listing his accolades, and opens onto a gift shop and cafe that continues the historic Nashville flair with stained glass windows and Cash portraits.   I learned so many details of Johnny Cash's life that I wouldn't have known without the family's willingness to share his life with his fans.  I feel another level of richness to the music I've always adored, and I had a great day hanging out with my own family!