I am going to admit it, I am a sucker for a good documentary and just had the opportunity to watch an advance screening of the new YouTube Originals documentary “The Gift: The Journey of Johnny Cash”.
This well-done documentary builds around the FOLSOM PRISON album that was recorded live with Johnny Cash performing in front of prisoners housed at prison. Viewers are treated to first hand stories and interviews with family and celebrated collaborators throughout.
I especially enjoyed learning about his humble beginnings in a small town living on a farm in Arkansas. Johnny Cash resonates with me a lot because my dad loved to listen to his music and their upbringings were very similar. My dad also grew up in a small town in Arkansas called Star City on a farm pretty much at the same time Johnny Cash did in a large family of 12 children. He used to also tell me that he loved to listen to the Grand Ole Opry on the radio as a kid. So, I see both Johnny Cash and my dad when watching this, including when both left their small town roots and joined the Air Force. Lots of similarities! Sadly, both of them have been gone for several years now.
I think you will enjoy this very much as a country music fan, Johnny Cash fan, or just a fan of documentaries. You can watch it for free starting on Monday, November 11th at 11AM Central / 12PM Eastern on YouTube. It was created with the full cooperation of the Cash estate and it is filled with recently discovered archival materials giving you a real glance into who Johnny Cash was aside from being a country music legend. More so than you got even from the award-winning bio pic several years ago, “Walk The Line”. It is a deeper dive into his life from the people who knew him best.
The 90-minute documentary from Emmy Award-winning director Thom Zimny (Elvis Presley: The Searcher, Springsteen on Broadway) explores the artistic victories, the personal tragedies, the struggles with addiction, and the spiritual pursuits that colored Johnny Cash’s life. The documentary was nominated for a 2019 IDA Documentary Award.
In celebration of the YouTube Originals documentary, The Johnny Cash Trust and The Best Fest, in partnership with YouTube, are also bringing fans the first-ever “Cash Fest,” an unprecedented charity concert for MusiCares in Nashville at the War Memorial Auditorium on November 10th honoring the music of the legendary Johnny Cash. More information on “Cash Fest” and tickets can be found here.
Tune-In to “The Gift: The Journey of Johnny Cash” beginning Monday, November 11 at 11AM CT / 12PM ET and continuously run available for free on YouTube
ABOUT THE DOCUMENTARY:
“The Gift: The Journey of Johnny Cash” is directed by Thom Zimny and produced by Thom Zimny, Glen Zipper, Sean Stuart and Jillian Apfelbaum. Frank Marshall, Ryan Suffern, Jeff Pollack, John Carter Cash, Josh Matas, Dan Friedkin, Bradley Thomas, Ryan Friedkin and Jasmine Daghighian serve as executive producers. The documentary is an Imperative Entertainment and Kennedy/Marshall production in association with Sutter Road Picture Company and The John R Cash Trust. The original composition for this project was composed and performed by Mike McCready. The documentary originally made its debut in March at the SXSW Film Festival and also screened recently at the 50th Annual Nashville Film Festival and the Telluride Film Festival as part of the event’s Backlot Series. The Gift: The Journey Of Johnny Cash: Original Score Music From A Film By Thom Zimny, will be released in November by Legacy Recordings, a division of Sony Music Entertainment.
“The Gift: The Journey of Johnny Cash” joins a robust slate of music-focused YouTube Originals including recent hits like “How to Be: Mark Ronson,” “Taylor Swift – Lover’s Lounge (Live),” “MALUMA: Lo Que Era, Lo Que Soy, Lo Que Seré,” “Ariana Grande: Dangerous Woman Diaries” and “Demi Lovato: Simply Complicated,” and forthcoming projects including “Coldplay: Everyday Life – Live in Jordan,” which premieres on YouTube on November 22.
# # #
About YouTube Originals:
YouTube Originals are award-winning, creative and engaging scripted and unscripted series and films across music, personalities and learning for fans all over the world. Spotlighting both YouTube creators alongside Hollywood’s biggest stars, YouTube Originals provide an experience that only YouTube can offer. By tapping into the platform’s growing global community, fan engagement capabilities, and innovative content mixed with pioneering live streamed specials, there is truly something for everybody. Fans experience YouTube Original content through ad-supported YouTube as well as YouTube Premium, a subscription service that offers access to YouTube Original series and movies, a streaming music platform, and an uninterrupted, ad-free experience across all of YouTube. YouTube Originals is a global platform available in over 60 countries worldwide.
