For my project, I would like to create a bust of the singer-songwriter Johnny Cash. Cash is best known for his music that spans the genres of country, rock ‘n roll, and gospel and his imposing, deadpan baritone voice. His songwriting ability has allowed him make music that is story-based, humorous, emotionally moving, dark-themed, and generally just fun to sing along with, all at the same time. For this reason, his appeal has lasted for generations. He is one of very few artists that have connected the gap in music taste between my grandparents, my parents, and myself.
The infamous personal life of Johnny Cash has been well-documented as well. Throughout his career and personal life, Johnny Cash had struggled with alcoholism and drug abuse problems, which attributed to the outlaw image he is known for. He had faced unimaginable lows in his life, losing the support of those who were close to him, and nearly overdosing on several occasions. He fought these problems for many years, and was finally able to overcome them with the help of God. The story of his redemption and acceptance of God in his life is one of the things I admire most about him. Nothing could keep Johnny Cash down.
One of the ideas I think is very important to communicate with this piece is the contrast of Johnny Cash’s outlaw image and inner demon with his revival. Redemption was always a theme that was very important to him and needs to be conveyed somehow. Some other details that could be included is his signature phrase, “Hello, I’m Johnny Cash”, that he would introduce himself with at every performance. He also wore black almost exclusively, earning him the moniker “The Man in Black”, representing how he wanted to take the burdens of the world onto himself through his music.