The similarities go beyond the last name.
For Brandon Cash, whose tribute to music icon Johnny Cash rolls into the Auburn Avenue Theater on April 13, the connection with the “Man in Black” goes deeper than a glancing resemblance and a rich, bass-baritone singing voice.
“I first met Johnny in 1991 in Binghamton (New York),” Cash said. “It was incredible. He was just an incredible man.”
Not only did Cash get the chance to meet the legendary man he now emulates, he actually got the chance to share the stage with his idol.
“I was more into Buddy Holly and Roy Orbison, that kind of rock at the time,” Cash said. “I wasn’t really into country, but I switched over really quick after that.”
According to Cash, the approval of Johnny Cash set him firmly on the path to his current tribute career.
“That’s part of the reason why I’m doing what I do now,” he said.
Over the years, Cash said, he got the chance to perform with Johnny Cash several times.
“I learned his show, the way he did it, and so now I try to do it just like he did,” he said. “I do a whole list of his songs spread out throughout his years. I change it up from time to time, but I do all the originals like ‘Ring of Fire,’ ‘Walk the Line’ and ‘Folsom Prison Blues.’ I do some of his other stuff like ‘Wreck of the Ol’ ’97’ also.”
In addition to perform the time-tested chestnuts from Johnny Cash’s catalog, Cash slips a few of his own compositions into the mix.
“One, ‘Jack Daniels and Me,’ gets a pretty good response,” he said. “My stuff still has that click-clack sound like his, but it’s more like the blues, like Louisiana-style blues. That’s more my style.”
Although it’s been almost 10 years since the death of Johnny Cash, his musical legacy still seems to resonate with audiences, Cash said.
“He had a song for everybody, that’s what I believe. Everybody likes something he’s done. A prisoner might like one song and somebody with a drinking problem might like another. But there is something there for everyone.”
Tickets for the 7:30 p.m., April 13 Brandon Cash tribute to Johnny Cash at the Auburn Avenue Theater are $20 each, $18 for students and seniors and available by calling Auburn Parks, Arts and Recreation at 253-931-3043 or online at www.brownpapertickets.com.
