Embed
A Heartbeat and a Guitar: Antonino D'Ambrosio on Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash isn't necessarily the first person to come to mind when one thinks about 60s protest music. Yet in his new book, A Heartbeat and a Guitar: Johnny Cash and the Making of Bitter Tears, Antonino D'Ambrosio connects Cash to the tradition of folk and political music in America, from Woody Guthrie to Pete Seeger to Bob Dylan and the 60s scene. At the peak of his fame, just after "Ring of Fire," Cash cut a record of songs about the Native American experience, many written by the now-forgotten songwriter Peter La Farge.
D'Ambrosio joined us in the GRITtv studio to talk about the history of protest music, the myth of Johnny Cash, and why music is one of the best ways to carry a progressive message. Then, in a special performance, he was joined by Anthony Roman and David Milone of the band Radio 4 to perform Cash's song "Apache Tears" live.
NOTICE: GRITtv and GRITradio are not affiliated with Ogden Publications, Inc., and are in no way associated with, or authorized or sponsored by, Ogden Publications Inc. or GRIT Magazine.
For information on GRIT magazine, go to www.grit.com.
For information on GRIT magazine, go to www.grit.com.
Great interview – big fan of Johnny Cash, but didn’t know much about Bitter Tears. I loved the performance – beautiful song…
By winston99 on November 19th, 2009 at 11:53 am
Yeh, I didn’t know about Bitter Tears–although I’ve always liked the Ballad of Ira Hayes off his Greatest Hits album. So now I’m gonna git the whole Bitter Tears album and the Book too. Easy to get wealthy if a nation takes free land, enslaves people, and goes and continues to plunder natural and cultivated resources of other peoples. No wonder the radio stations wouldn’t play it!
By gordsd on November 20th, 2009 at 10:37 am
I’m sorry that on the show a great number of names of so-called famous performers were mentioned, however, you didn’t mention that the song – The Ballad of Ira Hayes – was written by Peter LaFarge. I noticed that you included that fact on the web page but annoyingly under the trivializing preface of a “now forgotten song writer, Peter LaFarge.” Forgotten by whom? Not by those of us still alive who knew him! Forgotten by the music Biz who can no longer make money on his songs? Don’t help them promote their exploitive agenda, Please.
Eleanor Walden
Coordinator,
Committee to Nominate Pete Seeger for the Noble Peace Prize
http://www.nobelprize4pete.org
By ewalden on November 20th, 2009 at 1:46 pm