“Black Cadillac,” Words and Music by Rosanne Cash copyright © 2006 Chelcait Music (BMI). All Rights Administered by Measurable Music LLC, A Notable Music Company. All Rights Reserved. Used by Permission. Reprinted by Permission of Hal Leonard Corporation.
“Bury Me Not on the Lone Prairie,” Words and Music by Johnny R. Cash copyright © 1965 by Chappell & Co. International Copyright Secured. All Rights Reserved. Reprinted by Permission of Hal Leonard Corporation.
“Busted,” Written by Harlan Howard © 1962 Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC. All rights administered by Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, 8 Music Square West, Nashville, TN 37203. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
“Crescent City Blues,” Words and Music by Gordon Jenkins © 1953 Jenkins Family Partnership. Renewed. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
“Five Feet High and Rising,” Words and Music by Johnny R. Cash © 1959 (Renewed) CHAPPELL & CO., INC. All Rights Reserved. Used by Permission. Reprinted by Permission of Hal Leonard Corporation.
“Help Me,” Written by Larry Gatlin © 1978 Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC and Parker Lou Music LLC. All rights administered by Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, 8 Music Square West, Nashville, TN 37203. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
“Hurt,” Written by Trent Reznor © 1994 Leaving Hope Music/TVT Music Inc. (ASCAP). Administered by Leaving Hope Music, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
“The Mercy Seat,” Written by Nick Cave & Mick Harvey. Lyrics by Nick Cave. Published by Mute Song Limited. Used by Permission.
“Southern Accents,” Words and Music by Tom Petty copyright © 1985 Gone Gator Music. All Rights Reserved. Used by Permission. Reprinted by Permission of Hal Leonard Corporation.
“Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down,” Words and Music by Kris Kristofferson © 1969 (Renewed 1997) TEMI COMBINE INC. All Rights Controlled by COMBINE MUSIC CORP. and Administered by EMI BLACKWOOD MUSIC INC. All Rights Reserved. International Copyright Secured. Used by Permission. Reprinted by Permission of Hal Leonard Corporation.
“To Beat the Devil,” Words and Music by Kris Kristofferson copyright © 1968 by Careers-BMG Music Publishing, Inc. Copyright Renewed. International Copyright Secured. All Rights Reserved. Reprinted by Permission of Hal Leonard Corporation.
“The Wanderer,” Lyrics by Bono and The Edge, Music by U2, copyright © 1993 UNIVERSAL MUSIC PUBLISHING INTERNATIONAL B.V. All Rights in the U.S. and Canada Controlled and Administered by UNIVERSAL–POLYGRAM INTERNATIONAL PUBLISHING, INC. All Rights Reserved. Used by Permission. Reprinted by Permission of Hal Leonard Corporation.
About the Author
Robert Hilburn was the chief pop music critic and pop music editor for the Los Angeles Times for more than three decades, and has written extensively on Bob Dylan, John Lennon, Bruce Springsteen, U2, and others. He lives in California.
Also by Robert Hilburn
Corn Flakes with John Lennon
Springsteen
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Table of Contents
Title Page
Epigraph
Part One
Chapter 1: Dyess and the Dream
Chapter 2: Vivian and the Air Force
Chapter 3: Memphis and Sam Phillips
Chapter 4: Sun Records, the Tennessee Two, and Boom Chicka Boom
Chapter 5: “Hey, Porter,” “Folsom Prison Blues,” and a Baby Girl
Chapter 6: Louisiana Hayride and “I Walk the Line”
Chapter 7: Columbia Records, “Big River,” and Pills
Part Two
Chapter 8: Hollywood, Town Hall Party, and Lorrie Collins
Chapter 9: “Ride This Train” and the Huntsville Prison Rodeo
Chapter 10: Billie Jean and the Marriage Proposal
Chapter 11: Casitas Springs and Saul Holiff
Chapter 12: June Carter
Chapter 13: The Drugs and Carnegie Hall
Chapter 14: “Ring of Fire,” “Understand Your Man,” and the Troops in the Far East
Chapter 15: Newport, Bob Dylan, “Ira Hayes,” and Ballads of the True West
Chapter 16: The Los Padres Fire and the El Paso Drug Bust
Part Three
Chapter 17: The Deathwatch
Chapter 18: The Divorce, Bob Johnston, and a Suicide Tale
Chapter 19: Folsom Prison and Marrying June
Chapter 21: Kris Kristofferson, Billy Graham, and Anita Carter
Chapter 22: “It’s a Boy” and the White House
Part Four
Chapter 23: Israel and The Calling
Chapter 24: The Gospel Road and a Change of Managers
Chapter 25: Family Man and National Icon
Chapter 26: Losing the Muse
Chapter 27: The Pills Return and All Hell Breaks Loose
Chapter 28: No One’s Listening
Part Five
Chapter 29: At Betty Ford and Dropped by Columbia Records
Chapter 30: The Beginning of the Mercury Era and Heart Surgery
Chapter 31: Branson, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and U2
Chapter 32: Rick Rubin
Chapter 33: The End of the Concert Trail and Struggling with Physical Pain
Chapter 34: A Hero Again
Chapter 35: “The Man Comes Around” and “Hurt”
Chapter 36: The Final Days
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
Photos
Guide to Recordings and DVDs
Source Notes
About the Author
Also by Robert Hilburn
Newsletters
Copyright
Copyright © 2013 by Robert Hilburn
Cover design by Julianna Lee; photograph Globe Photos, Inc.
Cover copyright © 2013 Hachette Book Group, Inc.
All rights reserved. In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission of the publisher constitute unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), prior written permission must be obtained by contacting the publisher at permissions@hbgusa.com. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.
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First ebook edition: October 2013
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ISBN 978-0-316-24869-3