He was most famously known as the Man in Black, a colour he wore subconconciousy perhaps to reflect the depths of a complicated
and uncompromising personality. A respected and much loved performer with a unique sound, this book tells the authorised biography, for which Turner is given unprecedented access to Cash's family, colleagues and cohorts. From humble roots gathering cotton with his family in the fields of Arkansas to rendezvous with Presidents and Heads of State, Turner takes us on a journey spanning a career that was a popular as it was near self-destructive. As a young boy, he was very
influenced by the Gospel singing of his Mother. On the flip side, revealing the darker emotions with which he lived, he was also strongly influenced by the loss of his brother, destined for the
clergy, at an early age. The story unfolds to reveal Cash's struggle with his tenacity and love for life and
his strong feelings of his own familial obligation coupled with his turbulent
relationship with his father. The story twists and turns, and shows us how, ironically, Cash gets closer to forming his own style while serving his time in the army in Germany and paints for us the picture of how he got his first break to record with Sun Records. From there, we see for ourselves the turning point in his life that came and coincided with the acceptance of June Carter's love for him, when the explosion in him finally blossomed and continued to do so throughout his
musical career. In his life, love and music, we see nothing other that the real man, who wore his heart on his sleeve and his soul in his songs. Out of this tumultuous life story, Cash created a sound and persona that has influenced every subsequent musical generation.