Today I got to meet a member of Music Royalty, the lovely and very talented Rosanne Cash! Royalty? Yes. She’s the daughter of Johnny Cash, step-daughter of June Carter, step-sister of Carlene Carter and through all these relationships Rosanne is tied to artists I respect in Country-Pop-Americana circles: Nick Lowe, Elvis Costello, Michael Nesmith and the Carter Family (one of the earliest modern recording artists). With this new album she extends this by working with Bruce Springsteen, Jeff Tweedy (Wilco, Uncle Tupelo) and Rufus Wainwright.
She’s in Austin today for the big KGSR birthday party that’s always thrown during the first week of December. It’s pretty special since Jody Denberg, one of the station’s founders (in its sound) is taking a leave of absence and he was a big supporter of hers. Meanwhile, Rosanne and her husband/long-time producer John Leventhal dropped by Waterloo Records to promote their latest album The List. This isn’t any old collection of covers. It’s 12 songs from a list of 100 her father thought were the greatest, most essential pieces of Country music he felt she should know. There have been many requests to have the list posted on the Internet but Rosanne said maybe in the future because she feels its still too personal to share. I liked how she called it a piece of Johnny’s DNA.
Rosanne and John took Waterloo’s little stage and started off with their cover of “I’m Movin’ On.” Afterwards, she announced the rest of the set would be called-out requests. Someone beat me to shouting “The Wheel” which immediately got John to reply, “Except that one!” Rosanne explained how John can’t play the guitar fast enough, there’s only two guitarists he feels could. They did do what John was prepared for, “Sea of Heartbreak” and then the request for “Long Black Veil” which are both on the current record. Jody got to pick the next one, something from Interiors (I need to re-listen to it) and then they closed with her first major hit I remember as a kid, “Seven Year Ache.”
John and Rosanne opening their set with "I'm Movin' On"
With it being an in-store performance, I did get my several minutes with her (the picture above proves it). I gushed about how I got introduced to her material as a kid, hearing her on WMAQ (an AM-based Country station in Chicago Dad listened to). She replied, a kid? I replied, well you were getting started so you were a teenager. Rosanne laughed and said, good answer! When I said she was a member of Country Music Royalty, her answer was, I guess but I have yet to receive my crown and scepter. I suggested she start talking in the royal “we,” to many chuckles. John was over at the little stage talking to a couple employees about the rest of their touring band. He gladly signed the inside of my CD as I told him I enjoyed his work with Shawn Colvin (an Austin resident) to which he said, thank you.
It was awesome to finally meet Rosanne Cash! Outside of music, she has a special place in my heart and why I live in Austin. Back when I lived in Bloomington, IL around 1993, I was contemplating on moving here. I probably was leaning toward it thanks to the Midwest’s miserable weather kicking into high gear in November (icy rain and sunset at 430 PM). During one of the few evenings I could wrangle control of the TV from Grandma, I stumbled upon Rosanne’s 1993 appearance on Austin City Limits. I remembered how impressed I was with her live version of “The Wheel” and the “skyline” of Austin. I use quotes around the word skyline because the show is shot inside of a studio on the sixth floor of UT’s Communications building (until the new place near downtown is constructed). How disappointed and foolish I felt to be told the truth shortly after moving here. I’ve been to a recording too (Fountains of Wayne), the ACL crew does a good job on creating the illusion of it being outside. Ruse or not, seeing Ms. Cash singing to a capacity crowd helped me make the right decision to come to Austin. It is a city filled with many other music fanatics.
Dude, that’s AWESOME! And yes, she is royalty!!!!!