Rosanne Cash and Ry Cooder to Perform Five Johnny Cash Tribute Shows

Johnny Cash performs in 1991. Photo by Eddie Boldizsar/REX/Shutterstock (183426a)

Singer/songwriter Rosanne Cash and American multi-instrumentalist Ry Cooder just announced a special run of tribute shows dedicated to country legend Johnny Cash. Rosanne, who is the daughter of Cash and his first wife Vivian Liberto Cash Distin, will join forces with Cooder for a mini-tour of five concerts titled Cash and Cooder on Cash: A Musical Tribute to Johnny Cash in which they will deliver personal interpretations of late musician’s best-known songs.

The first show is scheduled to take place at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville on June 16th, after which Cash and Cooder will visit Chicago, Boston, and New York and wrap up the trip on November 3 at the Metropolitan Opera House in Philadelphia. The duo will be joined by several other musicians during the shows including guitarist John Leventhal, pianist Glenn Patscha, bassist Mark Fain, and drummer Joachim Cooder.

“When I was planning my residency in San Francisco, I couldn’t stop thinking about Ry,” – said Cash. “He and I had only performed together a few times over the years, just a song or two and it always left me wanting more. We stayed connected by e-mail, sending old songs to each other and talking about music and politics. Knowing his general reticence to perform just for the sake of getting on stage and his impeccably high standards, I held back. I was nervous.”

“Finally, I got up my courage and asked him if he wanted to make up a show — anything at all–and I offered a few ideas,” – she added. “He brushed off my initial thoughts, and said, ‘What springs to mind is a show of your dad’s songs. What else can I say?’ When Ry suggested it, oddly, I didn’t even hesitate. I said ‘Okay, let’s do Johnny.’ I told him that he was the only person on the planet I would do a show of Johnny Cash songs with. When I said that, I felt quite overcome with feeling. I knew I had waited for the right person, the right reason and the right place.”