Bringing the Man In Black to Washington

Arkansas has made a monumental impact on the nation’s capital this year outside of the usual policy debates among the legislative and executive branches or landmark Supreme Court cases. Instead, the addition of two new submissions to the National Statuary Hall Collection both placed our little corner of the world into national and international headlines.

Back in the spring, we celebrated our state’s first new statue in the collection in over a hundred years when a rendering of Daisy Bates replaced one of Arkansas’s previous contributions. This month we had the distinct honor to welcome another great Arkansan to the ranks with the unveiling of Johnny Cash, cast in bronze and gazing down to engage with the thousands and thousands of observers who will encounter his likeness in the U.S. Capitol annually.

We’re so proud and excited that now visitors to the halls of Congress will learn of Cash’s origins and identify his life and music – which helped define a generation – as a product of Arkansas.

He was known as “J.R.” by his family, “Airman John R. Cash” to the U.S. military and “Johnny” or “The Man in Black” for legions of devoted fans around the world. He gained further notoriety as a member of Sun Records’ so-called Million Dollar Quartet and as part of the famed Highwaymen, appealing to a massive audience beyond just country music.

Throughout his legendary career that took him from town to town and literally around the globe, Johnny Cash always carried Arkansas with him. In fact, he once planted cotton in the front yard of his California home to remind him of life on the farm back in Mississippi County.

Cash was also especially fond of another Arkansan, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, whose musical style of gospel-infused blues and rock captivated him more than most other artists he would ever encounter.

A devout believer himself, Johnny Cash spent a lifetime yearning to live up to the faith that had been instilled in him by his family from such a young age. He grew up singing the old Baptist hymns at his mother’s feet, describing them as “his favorite form of prayer – his church of choice.” That spiritual journey led him to visit Israel on multiple occasions, write a book about the apostle Paul, and even strike up an unlikely friendship with Billy Graham – whose statue is also part of the collection that Cash now joins.

It’s been said that Johnny Cash – though he came from a little town in Arkansas – knew how to talk to all of America and that his catalogue, in essence, tells the story of our country. So in many ways, hosting his sculpture within one of our nation’s most iconic symbols was long overdue.

It befits someone of Cash’s stature and influence as a deeply sincere and compassionate storyteller whose impact extended far beyond a musical genre or as a cultural touchstone.

Armed with his guitar and the Scriptures, the statue – sculpted by a fellow Arkansan and fixed on a pedestal of Arkansas stone – is true to Cash’s spirit and roots. And we are so gratified it is now on full display.

As his daughter Rosanne so eloquently reflected, there is something beautifully symmetrical about two true humanitarians, Johnny Cash and Daisy Bates, representing our state in this prestigious collection. It will serve as a wonderful testament to the spirit of the Great State of Arkansas for years to come.