Living on the Corner of Lead and Zinc - Saturday 9

If you're not familiar with today's song, you can hear it here.

1) Recorded by Johnny Cash, "Ring of Fire" was written by his wife, June Carter. Johnny's daughter Roseanne says it's about "the transformative power of their love." What's your favorite love song?  Unchained Melody by the Righteous Brothers.  All incarnations and covers..

2) Though more than 50 years old, this song is still popular today. Country Music Television named it one of the best and most requested of all time. Are you a country music fan?  Yes, I love most country music,  Johnny Cash is way up there with the classic artists.  I also love some of the newer singers.

3) This recording features mariachi horns, inspired by Mexican folk music. Have you ever been to Mexico?  Yes, living in CA, I have been over the border in Baja several times.  When I was 18 I went with a group tour to Mexico City and Acapulco. It was totally different from Baja California.

4) Cash's birth certificate said, "J. R. Cash," and "J.R." is what his parents always called him. When he enlisted in the Air Force, Uncle Sam refused to let him simply go by initials, so he chose the name "John." If you could choose a different name for yourself, what would it be?  My mom wanted to call me Suzanne, but my dad said no....I still wonder why.  In the 60's I changed my name from Kathy to Katie.


5) Cash and his first wife, Vivian, had their first date at a roller skating rink. Tell us about one of your first dates. Mr BC and I went to a drive-in movie on a double date for our first date. He was very polite, but I can't say much for the couple in the back seat.  We never dated with them again.  We saw The Loved One and Cheyenne Autumn.  He kissed me during the second movie.  

6) Cash died in September, 2003, four months after he lost his second wife, and love of his life, June. The cause of death given was complications from diabetes, but his children believe he died of a broken heart. Do you think that's possible? I think that happens a lot to long married older couples with health issues.  But short of a heart attack, I don't think so.  

7) Cash was known as "The Man in Black." What color do you wear most often? Pastel colors, pink, blue, yellow. I don't wear dark colors much now that I don't work.

8) There's a Johnny Cash Museum in Nashville. What's the last museum you visited? Crystal Bridges, it is an American art museum in Bentonville, Arkansas.  I wrote about it here.  It is a lovely spot to visit and is a great museum, you can visit for free.

9) A stretch of Tennessee Highway 31E is known as "Johnny Cash Parkway." What street in your town is named for a famous person? We have a Jefferson Street here in 'Craterville' (so called for our awful streets) I would assume it is for the president, of the same name.  We also have a Daugherty St. named for W.A. Daugherty, who opened up lead mines in the general area.  It has been a somewhat ugly area around the edges of our towns, ever since, until the government started cleaning up the chat piles and mines in the 90's.  We have a lot of streets named after miners and mines.