Photo Credit: Alan Messer
On Sept. 25, Johnny Cash made history as he became the first-ever musician immortalized in bronze at the U.S. Capitol. The unveiling ceremony, held Tuesday morning at Washington’s National Statuary Hall, included several remarks from his daughter, fellow musician Rosanne Cash.
Constructed by Little Rock, Ark. painter/sculptor Kevin Kresse, the larger-than-life statue imagines a 40-year-old Cash in 1970, posed with a Bible in hand and an acoustic guitar–reminiscent of his Martin D-35–across his back. The pedestal features two quotes from Cash, one from “Man in Black,” the other “All your life you will be faced with a choice. You can choose love or hate. I choose love.” The accompanying inscription also deems Cash a “singer, songwriter, artist, and humanitarian,” referring to his advocacy for prison reform, manifested in songs like “Folsom Prison Blues” and activist projects, including a 1972 visit to the Senate.
“Words cannot come close to expressing our pride to see my dad accorded such a singular privilege,” said Rosanne, addressing her friends, family, and elected officials from an array of parties. “I can safely say that he would feel that of all the many honors and accolades he received in his lifetime, this is the ultimate,” she added. “Johnny Cash is the perfect person to be honored in this way,” agreed House Speaker Mike Johnson, with regards to the Arkansas native. “He was a man who embodied the American spirit in a way that few could.”
Though this tribute came to fruition over 20 years after Cash’s death in 2003, the statue arrives at a busy time for the Cash family and estate; it follows the summer 2024 release of Songwriter Cash’s posthumous album and precedes a forthcoming project from Rosanne Cash: a set of recordings with Elvis Costello set to release in November.
Scroll down to view Rosanne Cash’s content related to the statue’s unveiling.
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