Gary James' Interview With Johnny Cash's Sister
Joanne Cash Yates



Growing up in Joanne Cash's house, singing was just something you did. And having a brother named Johnny made it even more special. And so we asked Joanne Cash, now Joanne Cash Yates, what it was like to have such a famous brother and about the career she embarked on.

Q - Joanne, how many times have people come up to you and said, "Are you any relation to..." and what do you say to them?

A - I tell people, when they say, "Are you related to Johnny Cash?" I say "I believe I am. We have the same Mom and Daddy and I'm his youngest sister."

Q - And that gets a reaction for sure!

A - Well, yeah. They want to have a picture made with me. I have an 8x10 picture of Johnny and me that I sign when I go on the road when I go, or in church. They want me to sign that picture to them, which I do. They just want to talk about John and my relationship with him.

Q - When did everybody in your family realize that Johnny had something special going on and might have a professional career in music?

A - Well, I was six years old and I remember Johnny was writing songs every day. I thought he was writing poems. I asked him one day, "What are you doing?" He said, "Baby, I'm writing songs. One day I'm gonna be a great singer." I said, "You are?" He would tell me that often. Growing up with him, his real name is J.R. When he was born my mother wanted to name him John. My grandfather John was John Rivers on her side. And Daddy's name was Ray. So, he wanted to name him Ray after him. They couldn't decide, so they decided just to call him J.R. and that's what's on his birth certificate. So, when he went in the Air Force, he formed his first little band in Landsberg, Germany and one of the airmen said, "Johnny Cash," and it stuck. So, Mom won actually. She got to name him John. So we called him John. Our family called him John all of our lives. The growing up years on the farm in Arkansas, we all called him J.R. because that's who he was, but when he went into his career it was John.

Q - Did you ever visit the Sun Studios in Memphis and attend a recording session of your brother's?

A - I didn't attend Johnny's recording session, but I've recorded there more than once myself and I have been there many times.

Q - Did you ever meet Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Charlie Rich or Elvis?

A - I met Elvis. In Johnny's earlier career we were still living on the farm and he said, "Baby," and he always called me Baby 'cause I'm the baby sister. He said, "Baby, do you want to go with me to a show?" I said, "Yeah." So we drove from the little town of Dyess, Arkansas to Jonesboro where he was having his show. And on the way over there he said, "There's gonna be a guy come out and front the show. Then they're going to bring the star on." I said, "What is fronting the show?" He said, "That's when a guy comes out and gets the crowd going and gets people excited. Then they bring the star on." I said, "Well, who's the star?" He said, "That's me." I said, "You're my brother. Are you the star?" He said, "Yup. I sure am." So, when we got to Jonesboro, the young man was Elvis Presley that fronted the show. When Johnny went on to sing, I went back and talked to Elvis for about an hour while Johnny was singing. Johnny didn't like that too much 'cause he brought me to see his show. (laughs)

Q - What was Elvis like?

A - Elvis was probably the most naturally handsome man I've ever met in my life. He was just that way. He couldn't help it. We talked for an hour since Johnny was singing. He was very cordial. He was older than me of course, but he called me Ma'am, "Yes Ma'am." He was very kind and very loving. Very flirty, but he was very sweet. I'll always cherish that hour I got to spend with him. Anyway, he was just a wonderful guy.

Q - What year was that?

A - That was in '56, '57. Somewhere along there.

Q - After Elvis warmed up the audience, what was the reaction to your brother's music? Did you hear screams?

A - Oh, yes. The girls were after him from the get-go. Johnny had the screams and the applause. What they did in Johnny's show, the announcer would say, "Ladies and gentlemen, Johnny Cash!" And he would come out on the stage and the crowds would roar for several minutes until he held up his hands and started singing.

Q - Did you ever appear on your brother's show?

A - Many times. My husband Harry and I are pastors here in Nashville and we were on the road fifteen years, living in a bus. Many times we would meet up with Johnny. If he was in Oklahoma City, we'd be there too and I always sang with him whenever we'd meet up or if he'd do something here in Nashville I would sing with him. Many times he's recorded with me. I've recorded thirty-one albums myself. I'm working on my thirty-first album. I've got several songs already recorded on it and they're all Gospel. Johnny loved to sing with me and I loved to sing with him.

Q - Were you ever on Johnny's TV show?

A - I was on one of is Christmas Specials. I was on two different ones. Johnny and my brother Tommy and me sang "Old Time Religion" on one of the shows. I don't remember what song I sung on the other Christmas show.

Q - You worked for your brother at the House Of Cash.

A - Yes, I did.

Q - Which was a recording studio, office space and a museum.

A - Yes.

Q - You said you learned so much about the music business by working there. What did you learn about the music business that you didn't know before?

A - That the music business, you can take it and learn from it or it can wear you out. It's a daily challenging thing. The on the road touring that Johnny did all of his adult life, he said, "I'm happiest when I'm performing." Everybody knows his shows were just awesome. It's very wearing and tiring, physically speaking. He left us much too soon because of his health issues which was contributed to so many long tours and not enough rest.

Q - Didn't your brother have any hobbies that would have allowed him to unwind?

A - Well, they had a home in Jamaica that they bought. It was a castle that they converted into a home and he and June would go down there and rest and he also had a barn here in Bonacich, Tennessee on the highway that goes to Memphis, about an hour out of Nashville. It was just an old farmhouse that he restored and he would go up there for a week at a time by himself and write and rest and pray. So he would have getaways where he would take some time off and just restore and relax and sleep. Catch up on his sleep, and write songs by himself. And it's called the Johnny Cash Barn. That's what he did, he hid away from the public.

Q - Every Sunday night you sing at the Texas Troubadour Theatre in Nashville, do you? And Tuesday nights you sing at the Wyndham Vacation Resort where you also talk about your family? Why haven't you been approached about broadcasting nationally, or have you?

A - Well, you got it just a little bit wrong. It's Sunday morning at the Texas Troubadour Theatre and we do live stream all over the world. You can see it on Facebook Live every Sunday morning. It's Nashville Cowboy Church on Facebook at the Texas Troubadour Theatre. It's 10 A.M. to 11 A.M. Central Time, every Sunday morning. I sing every Sunday. As far as the Wyndham Resort, that I sing on Tuesday night. I did a concert every week. COVID shut us down and I think they're about to bring us back now since everything is smoothing out a little but. But I still sing. I just got back from Gatlinburg (Tennessee) where I sang at a convention. I go out every so often and sing. I'm just keeping my music going. I've had some number ones. Last year (2020) I had a number one song and a number one album. Singing is therapy for me. I love the Lord. I'm a Christian. I love to sing for God. He's allowed me to come and sing in different places. I'm doing a Gospel writer's night at the Texas Troubadour Theatre here in Nashville.

Q - There was a Country music exhibition at the New York State Fair in Syracuse some years ago where they had on display a suit that Johnny wore. Joanne, that suit was so small. I don't know how he would've gotten into it.

A - Johnny was six foot, three. When he wore those stage boots you had to look up to him, literally. He was a big man. Both of my grandfathers were tall like Johnny. Our mother was five foot, nine, but my daddy was five seven. (laughs) They looked like Mutt and Jeff together. But, the tallness, I literally always had to look up to John 'cause I'm five foot four.

Q - Are you saying then that maybe that wasn't your brother's black suit?

A - Well, you can get any black suit and put a name on it. (laughs) I don't know. I didn't see it.

Q - Did you know that Johnny Cash made history in Syracuse, New York when he introduced a drummer into his lineup in July, 1960 at a club called Three Rivers Inn?

A - I did not know that. Johnny went everywhere. I couldn't keep up with him all the time because he was always somewhere. (laughs)

Q - You'd never heard that before?

A - No. Well, that's good. I just want to close this out by saying my husband and I are pastors and we believe the Lord is about to return. So I hope everybody will go to church and get their hearts right and be ready for that.

Official Website: www.JoanneCash.com

© Gary James. All rights reserved.

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