DAVE'S DIARY - 1 AUGUST 2004 - CASH AUCTION UPDATE
WANT
A NEW PICK-UP TRUCK?
WHY NOT JOHNNY CASH'S BLACK FORD F-150
 |
You
could be the only one in your suburb and town with a black pick-up
once driven by the Man in Black.
|
More than 650 lots will be featured, including historic awards, instruments, stage-worn clothing, gold and platinum records, handwritten lyrics, and items from the Cash's personal collection of fine art, furniture and decorations, jewellery and Cash's 2002 Ford F-150 black pick-up truck.
TRY BEFORE YOU BUY
An exhibition
of the entire collection will be held September 7-13 at Sotheby's galleries
in New York.
"Over the course of five decades, Johnny and June Carter Cash's music
and lyrics touched the hearts and minds of millions, from prison inmates
to presidents," says Leila Dunbar, Director of Sotheby's Collectible's
Department.
"It is such a privilege to pay tribute to Johnny Cash and the love
of his life, June Carter Cash. In 2003, Country Music Television named
Johnny Cash the 'Greatest Man in Country Music,' but his influence extended
far beyond any specific genre with his ability to blend the lines between
country, folk, gospel, rock and pop.
He and June Carter are true American icons, and this sale presents countless
opportunities for collectors as well as fans of The Man in Black."
THE COLLECTION
Perhaps the
Cash's most prized possessions were their instruments, and the sale features
more than 50 examples that were owned and played by both Johnny and June
Carter Cash.
Among them -
The piano from the Cash's Hendersonville, Tennessee home that was featured
in the 2002 "Hurt" video (est. $3/5,000).
A 1997 Martin black D-42JC custom guitar (number three of 200 made) designed
for Johnny Cash and used in 1999 recording sessions (est. $10/15,000).
Treasured guitars, banjos, harmonicas and guitar picks.
Handwritten lyrics of important musicians are highly sought after by collectors
and the sale features more than 30 lots of such material, including a
1950s notebook of Cash handwritten and dated lyrics including such early
Sun Record hits as Cry, Cry, Cry, Get Rhythm, and I Get So Doggone
Lonesome (est. $4/6,000).
Other highlights include unpublished lyrics encompassing such diverse
topics as love, humour, faith and the battle with addiction.
Over the course of his life, Johnny Cash won 13 Grammy Awards, and seven
are featured in the sale with estimates ranging from $5,000 to $10,000.
Among them are the 1968 Best Male Vocal award for Folsom Prison Blues
and the 1997 Best Country Album for Unchained.
Johnny Cash was also honoured with many Country Music Association Awards
over the years and four are included (est. $3/5,000 each). In 1996, Johnny
was awarded with the Kennedy Centre Lifetime Achievement Award and offered
in the sale is the award, along with a photo and invitations to the ceremony
(est. $6/8,000).
A
BOY NAMED SUE
Also included are numerous Gold and Platinum Records for such albums as
A Boy Named Sue, Ring of Fire and I Walk the Line (est.
$3/4,000 each).
Johnny Cash's inimitable style is well represented in the auction including
numerous pieces of clothing, both personal attire and stage-worn costumes,
many of which were custom-made by noted country music tailor Manuel.
They include a Manuel black suede fringe coat worn in the 2002 Hurt video
(Est. $3/5,000) and a Manuel black leather and vintage Indian blanket
long coat made especially for Johnny Cash's personal use (est. $6/8,000).
Also included are several pairs of boots, hats, shirts and dusters and
a variety of gowns, fur coats and outfits worn by June Carter Cash.
Over their 40 plus years together, Johnny and June Carter Cash amassed
a personal collection of fine art, furniture and decorative pieces and
jewellery that reflected their lifestyle.
FINE
ART
Highlighting the selection are two bronzes by Frederic Remington: The
Bronco
Buster (est. $40/60,000) and The Outlaw, each estimated to sell for $40/60,000.
The sale also features a lovely group of silver pieces including a pair
of silver dessert stands by Tiffany & Co. (est. $15/20,000), as well
as a Belgian Baroque style carved walnut buffet (est. $10/15,000), and
a Jacobean style walnut bedstead (est. $4/6,000).
Also included are myriad photographs, concert posters, letters, and personal
items such as binoculars, canes, cancelled checks, credit cards, passports,
driver's licenses and Johnny Cash's collection of honorary sheriffs' badges.
MUSIC, MOVIES AND TV
With more
than 50 million albums sold, Johnny Cash is one of the greatest and most
popular performers in country music history.
He is also the only person to be named to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame,
the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Winner of 13 Grammy awards and owner of 14 #1 hits on the country charts,
his career began with his first recordings in 1955 on Sam Phillips' Sun
Records and continued to his death last September 12, 2003 at the age
of 71.
He enjoyed several renaissances - in the 1980s with the Highwaymen (Willie
Nelson, Kris Kristofferson and Waylon Jennings) that won them two AMA
awards and gold records.
And most recently in mid-1990s, thanks to Rick Rubin of American Recordings,
that led to five more Grammy Awards.
Cash also appeared on many popular television shows such as the Simpsons,
Sesame Street, Columbo, Little House On The Prairie, as well as his own
yearly Christmas Specials, the Johnny Cash show from 1969-1971.
There were numerous films such as Gospel Road (that he wrote and produced),
The Last Days of Frank and Jesse James and The Gunfight with Kirk Douglas.
Following the passing of his beloved wife June Carter Cash on May 15,
2003, Johnny returned to the studio to record American V to be released
in August of 2004.
Writer of hundreds of songs, many about the downtrodden and the disenfranchised,
and a traveller of more than 45 years on the road, Cash transcended country
music status and become a worldwide icon to several generations.
JUNE CARTER CASH
 |
June
Carter Cash, born in 1929, was brought up in the first family of country
music. June joined Johnny Cash's country touring show in 1960, marrying him in 1968 and continuing to perform with him for the next three decades. |
In 1967, Johnny and June won their first Grammy for their duo performance
of Jackson and just three years later scored their second duo award for
their recording of If I Were A Carpenter.
The Cashes continued to record and tour around the globe until health
reasons forced them to stop in 1997.
Visit the Sotheby's site for more information on the auction
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