The friendship between Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash is legendary. As two significant figures in the development of modern American music, they profoundly influenced each other and maintained their connection over the years, until Cash's unfortunate passing. The film A Complete Unknown portrays one account of their initial meeting, but how accurate is it?
In a situation reflecting the saying 'print the legend,' the new Dylan biopic shows their encounter at the Newport Folk Festival; however, their first real conversation occurred in a hotel room.
During a Reddit Ask Me Anything in 2014, John Carter Cash, the son of the country music star, shared some intriguing details about the well-known friendship between these two musical icons.
“My father mentioned that he met Bob Dylan in a hotel room in New York City during the early 1960s,” he stated. “They had exchanged letters prior, and my dad recounted that when he met Bob, Dylan rushed into his room, jumped on the bed, and began bouncing excitedly, chanting, 'I met Johnny Cash, I met Johnny Cash.'”
“They shared a deep friendship. While they didn't spend much time together in the latter part of my father's life, their friendship never wavered.”
After Johnny Cash's death, Bob Dylan reflected in an interview: “At that time – and even now – Johnny Cash epitomized country music; he was the ultimate figure. I appreciated all his gospel songs as well. Meeting him then was an incredible thrill of a lifetime.”
The admiration was reciprocal. Johnny Cash assisted Bob Dylan in reworking ‘Girl From The North Country’ for his ‘Nashville Skyline’ album, yet the country legend had been inspired by Dylan's lyrics for many years.
“I had a portable record player that I took with me on the road,” he recounted in his autobiography, Cash. “I would play [The] Freewheelin’ [Bob Dylan] backstage, then perform my show, and listen to it again as soon as I returned. Eventually, I wrote Bob a letter expressing how much I admired him. He replied almost immediately, mentioning that he had been following my music since ‘I Walk the Line,’ and that initiated our correspondence.”
One aspect of A Complete Unknown is entirely accurate – Dylan and Cash were indeed pen pals, exchanging lengthy letters about creativity and navigating the challenging music industry. In many ways, they relied on each other.
When Johnny Cash passed away, Bob Dylan expressed: “I was asked to provide a statement regarding Johnny’s death, and I considered writing a piece titled ‘Cash Is King’ because that truly reflects my feelings. To put it simply, Johnny was and remains the North Star; you could navigate your ship by him — he was among the greatest, then and now.”
Related: The Jugglers And The Clowns: Director James Mangold On A Complete Unknown
A Complete Unknown is currently available on DVD and Blu-Ray.
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The camaraderie between Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash has become legendary. As two central icons in the development of contemporary American music, they would