There’s something special about the music of Johnny Cash, according to tribute artist Daniel Thompson.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Thompson and Golden Guitar winning guitarist Stuie French have been playing tribute to Johnny Cash since 2009, joined by their band The Tennessee Express.
Now they’re bringing the Man in Black to life on the Dubbo Regional Theatre stage in Johnny Cash: The Concert ‘Walk the Line’.
“We are focusing a bit more on the movie Walk the Line, which is one of the ways that people found their way into Johnny Cash’s music,” Thompson said.
“We’re focusing a bit on the music and soundtrack and what the movie was all about, telling some stories about the songs that featured in the movie.”
Released in Australia on February 2, 2006, Walk The Line earned more than USD$12 million at the Australian box office and more than USD$180 million worldwide.
Gaining five Academy Award nominations, including a Best Actor nomination for Joaquin Phoenix and a Best Actress Oscar win for Reese Witherspoon for her role as June Carter, the movie cemented Johnny Cash as an icon of 20th century popular culture and helped introduce his music to whole new generation of fans.
Since 2009 Johnny Cash: The Concert has been taking Australia by storm with their authentic tribute to the Man in Black, playing over 100 shows to more than 35000 ecstatic fans in that time.
They completed their fourth national tour in November 2015, once again garnering rave reviews. After an almost 18 month layoff from touring, 2017 see’s Johnny Cash: The Concert refreshed and ready to hit Australian stages with Walk The Line.
The show delivers a good cross-section of music from throughout Cash’s career – including a number of tracks Australia’s own Man in Black hadn’t performed before.
“From a singing point of view it’s a challenge to perform these songs so there’s always a lot of effort that you’ve got to put into it,” Thompson said.
“There’s over 1500 songs in his catalogue and a lot of people like different songs for different reasons but I think one reason it’s as popular as it is today that there’s a lot of truth in it.
“The subject matter is I think what gets people, but most of all it’s good story telling.”
And after eight years on the road paying tribute to the Man in Black, Thompson said they’re not getting sick of it yet.
It’s an honour to share the stage with such talented musicians, he said, and “hugely rewarding” to give people the experience of seeing Johnny Cash live.
“[The band] makes the possibilities of what you can do endless really, because they really understand the music so well, we’re really performing the songs,” he said.
“On the surface this music is simple but when you get up there it’s complicated and I’m fortunate to have great musicians on stage with me.”
Johnny Cash: The Concert ‘Walk The Line’ is at the Dubbo Regional Theatre at 8pm on Saturday, March 4.
For ticket information visit www.drtcc.com.au or contact the DRTCC Box Office on 6801 4378.