Tag: Johnny Cash

Ira Hayes Won’t Answer Anymore

Ira Hayes Iwo Jima On January 24, 1955, Ira Hamilton Hayes died from alcohol poisoning near where he lived in Sacaton, Arizona. Even if you do not recognize the name, you have seen a photo of Hayes, as the 22-year-old Pima Indian Marine appears in the famous historical photo by Joe Rosenthal of soldiers raising the flag on Mt. Suribachi at Iwo Jima in 1945 during World War II.

The image was also used as a model for the 1954 Marine Corps War Memorial near Arlington National Cemetery, where Hayes is now buried. The war image and what happened to Hayes after the famous flag raising have since been immortalized in pop culture.

Ira Hayes in Movies

If you were not born during World War II but recognize the name of Ira Hayes, you may have seen the movie about Hayes directed by Delbert Mann and called The Outsider (1961). In that movie, Tony Curtis starred as the Native American Hayes. [September 2015 Update: Unfortunately, clips from The Outsider are no longer available on YouTube.]

Adam Beach portrayed Hayes in Clint Eastwood’s Flags of Our Fathers (2006). The real Hayes played himself in the John Wayne film, Sands of Iwo Jima (1949). Here is a video of the flag-raising in the movie, even though you cannot single out Hayes in this clip.

Ira Hayes in Song: “The Ballad of Ira Hayes”

But most likely those of us in a certain generation recognize the name “Ira Hayes” because of a song.  Songwriter Peter La Farge, inspired by The Outsider film, wrote the song “The Ballad of Ira Hayes.”

Johnny Cash then recorded the song and made it famous.

Like many others, I first learned about Ira Hayes through the Cash song. My dad used to play an 8-track with the song on it, and he explained to me the story about Ira Hayes. While the song takes some liberties about Hayes, it captures the essence of his tragic life. Because of the photo, Hayes was hailed as a hero, but he wanted to live a normal life and did not consider himself a hero after seeing so many of his comrades killed.

Hayes probably suffered from what we now know as post-traumatic stress syndrome.  He fell on hard times and turned to alcohol, resulting in his death.

Cash’s version of “The Ballad of Ira Hayes” remains the most famous version of the song.  But other artists like Kris Kristofferson have covered the tune.

Songwriter Townes Van Zandt captured the sadness in the song when he sang “The Ballad of Ira Hayes” as part of Solo Sessions, January 17, 1995.

While one might complain that the song oversimplifies Ira Hayes by focusing on his downfall, the song remains as a fitting tribute to the man. It helps keep him in our memories, while also reminding us of some of the downsides of war and fame. RIP Corporal Hayes.

Photo via public domain.

What is your favorite version of “The Ballad of Ira Hayes”? Leave your two cents in the comments.

  • The Missing Marine From the Iwo Jima Flag Photo
  • Is Kris Kristofferson’s Greatest Song “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down”?
  • Cowboy Jack Clement: “I Guess Things Happen That Way”
  • Columbia Records Drops Johnny Cash: “God’s Gonna Cut You Down”
  • The Myth of Redemptive Violence (Part Two): The American Western
  • “Bird on a Wire” and the Return of the Bald Eagle

    • (Some related Chimesfreedom posts.)

    New Johnny Cash Song Was a Hit for David Allan Coe

    She Used to Love Him David Allan Coe Chimesfreedom recently reported on an upcoming new Johnny Cash album release called Out Among the Stars. The album features unreleased tracks from recording sessions at Columbia Records in 1981 and 1984. The video for the earlier announcement featured a snipped of one of the songs discovered by Cash’s son John Carter, “She Used to Love Me a Lot.” But now you may hear the song in its entirety.

    The song is available for listening below. As Rolling Stone reports, the song sounds like vintage Johnny Cash. I like it. The album Out Among the Stars will hit the shelves and Internet on March 15, 2014.

    One interesting point that the articles about the new song do not mention, is that another country icon released a version of “She Used to Love Me a Lot” in the 1980s. David Allan Coe had a hit with the song in 1985. The song — written by Dennis Morgan, Charles Quillen, and Kye Fleming — appeared on Coe’s 1984 album Darlin’, Darlin. Check out his version.

    What do you think of “She Used to Love Me a Lot”? Leave your two cents in the comments.

  • New Video for Johnny Cash’s “Out Among the Stars”
  • Brandon Flowers and Others Cover “New” Johnny Cash Songs
  • A New Johnny Cash Album: “Out Among the Stars”
  • Is Kris Kristofferson’s Greatest Song “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down”?
  • Clarence Ashley: “The Cuckoo” & “Little Sadie”
  • Rosanne Cash Takes a Stand With “Crawl Into the Promised Land”

    • (Some related Chimesfreedom posts.)

    The 1977 Johnny Cash Christmas Show

    Cash Christmas Check out this video for the 1977 broadcast of The Johnny Cash Christmas Show. The show features June Carter Cash, the Carter Family, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison, Carl Perkins, the Statler Brothers, and “special guest star” Hee-Haw‘s Roy Clark. On the TV special, Cash recounts some of his past Christmases, including recalling his stint in the military and learning to play the guitar.

    One of the most touching moments is when Cash, Lewis, and Perkins pay tribute to the fourth member of the Million Dollar Quartet, Elvis Presley. The three men and Roy Orbison play “This Train is Bound for Glory” for Elvis (31:40), who had died in August of that year.

    Several of the artists sing non-holiday former hits. Carl Perkins sings “Blue Suede Shoes” (20:35) for example, and Jerry Lee Lewis rocks out on “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” (27:30). Somewhat surprisingly, Roy Orbison sings “Pretty Woman” (24:05) instead of his 1963 holiday hit, “Pretty Paper.” Lewis calms down for “White Christmas” (30:00).

    This special is one of four Johnny Cash Christmas specials that CBS broadcast from 1976 to 1979. You may watch the other ones collected on Dangerous Minds. Also, check out our earlier discussion of the connections between the song “This Train,” the past, and the present.

    What is your favorite variety show Christmas special? Leave your two cents in the comments.

  • The Impromptu Million Dollar Quartet
  • The End of Maryland’s Death Penalty and “Green, Green Grass of Home”
  • Jewel as June
  • Watch Classic Music from Dick Clark’s Saturday Night Beech-Nut Show
  • This Week in Pop Culture Roundup (11 Dec. 2011)
  • Top 10 Depressing Holiday Songs

    • (Some related Chimesfreedom posts.)

    A New Johnny Cash Album: “Out Among the Stars”

    Out Among the Stars Cash

    Johnny Cash‘s estate is releasing Out Among The Stars, an album of never-before-released material that Cash recorded in the early 1980s for Columbia Records. The music comes from a recording session in 1981 and another session in 1984, both produced by Billy Sherrill. Columbia forgot about the recordings after Cash released his final album for the label, Rainbow, in 1985. (See our previous post about Rainbow and the record label dropping Cash.)

    In a short promotional video for the upcoming album, Cash’s son, John Carter Cash talked about finding these recordings.

    Out Among the Stars will be out among the stores starting March 25, 2014.

    What do you think of “new” music being released after an artist has died? Leave your two cents in the comments.

  • New Video for Johnny Cash’s “Out Among the Stars”
  • Brandon Flowers and Others Cover “New” Johnny Cash Songs
  • New Johnny Cash Song Was a Hit for David Allan Coe
  • Columbia Records Drops Johnny Cash: “God’s Gonna Cut You Down”
  • Is Kris Kristofferson’s Greatest Song “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down”?
  • Etta James: “Almost Persuaded” (Song of the Day)

    • (Some related Chimesfreedom posts.)

    The Impromptu Million Dollar Quartet

    Elvis Lewis Cash Perkins On December 4, 1956, Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Johnny Cash gathered at the Sun Record Studios in Memphis, Tennessee.  The gathering was not planned, but because of the fast thinking of a recording engineer, it created a unique moment in music history.

    How the Gathering Started

    On that date, Carl Perkins was in the studio to record a follow-up to his hit “Blue Suede Shoes.” A still-unknown Jerry Lee Lewis, whose “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” would be released in a few weeks, played piano for Perkins.

    During the session, Johnny Cash dropped by. And the 21-year old Elvis Presley, who already had left Sun for RCA, stopped by with his girlfriend to say hello. Soon, the singers began jamming together.

    Recording engineer Jack Clement had the smarts to run a tape of the session, although the tape would not be heard for decades. But Sam Phillips called a local reporter to take a picture. The local paper used the caption that is still how we remember the session: the “Million Dollar Quartet” (which also later inspired a Broadway musical).

    The session includes Elvis playing piano and the group running through a number of songs. Near the end, after Presley got up to leave, Lewis took over the piano and continued playing and singing.

    Did Johnny Cash Sing With the Group?

    In the recordings, you do not hear Johnny Cash’s voice up front, which has led to some speculation about whether he stayed around to sing with the other three men. In his autobiography, though, Cash explained that he was there the whole time but was furthest from the mike and singing higher than normal to be in key with Presley.

    Cash also revealed it was the first time he had heard Jerry Lee Lewis.  Cash explained why Elvis left after Lewis took over the piano. “If you’re wondering why Elvis left right after Jerry Lee got started,” he explained, “the answer is simple: nobody, not even Elvis, ever wanted to follow Jerry Lee.”

    Available Recordings

    The above recording is listed as a “complete” session of the session. There are a number of CD versions, including a 1990 release.  Then the songs were reordered for a later 2006 release that also included some additional tracks.

    No matter which CD version you hear, I love the recording of the men jamming and laughing together. I periodically listen to the CD of the session the whole way through.

    Although we know of the great talent of these four men, it is often easy to forget the joy they found in the music. But that joy radiates through this recording.

    What is your favorite part of the Million Dollar Quartet recording? Leave your two cents in the comments.

  • The 1977 Johnny Cash Christmas Show
  • The End of Maryland’s Death Penalty and “Green, Green Grass of Home”
  • Johnny Cash Imitating Elvis
  • It’s “Rock & Roll Time” When Jerry Lee Lewis Releases New Music
  • Columbia Records Drops Johnny Cash: “God’s Gonna Cut You Down”
  • Elvis Goes Into the Army: March 25, 1958

    • (Some related Chimesfreedom posts.)