Photo credit: Bill Thorup
Marty Stuart shares his new song “I’ve Been Around,” from the expanded edition of the Johnny Cash: Forever Words, a digital edition of the original album plus 18 new songs (16 previously unreleased) by various artists, with words by Johnny Cash. Stuart said of the song:
“I dearly love I’ve Been Around. The song and video are both filled with that unexplainable charisma that John R Cash specialized in. He was such a great writer. A true poet at heart. It’s hard to believe that he never got around to recording this song. The words are cinematic, timeless, classic JR. When John Carter Cash first presented me with the raw lyrics the music seemed to dance off the page. I instantly heard the sound of Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Three in my mind. They were the north star band of my musical youth; in reality, they still are. They were my Beatles. I wanted the spirit of that group and the essence of that sound to follow me to that microphone. At the time the song was recorded the Tennessee Three’s drummer, WS (Fluke) Holland, was the last band member standing. He played on the session and brought that classic sound with him to the studio. Fluke since passed away. I’ve Been Around was to be his last recording and I will forever treasure it. The old line in Nashville is: It all begins with a song. And once again, Johnny cash knocks one out of the park from 10 million miles away.”
The music video for the song, directed by John Carter Cash, honors Cash’s and Stuart’s long relationship and includes footage from throughout their careers. Stuart was a member of Cash’s band and the pair remained lifelong friends.
Recently, The Country Music Association announced the induction of Marty Stuart into the Country Music Hall of Fame’s class of 2020 in the Modern Era Artist category. Stuart was inducted alongside Dean Dillon (Songwriter Category) and Hank Williams Jr. (Veterans Era Artist). Full information about the class of 2020 inductees is available on the CMA site.
Marty Stuart is a five-time GRAMMY-winner, platinum recording artist, Lifetime Achievement Award recipient from the Americana Music Association, Grand Ole Opry star, country music archivist, photographer, musician, and songwriter. Since starting out singing gospel as a child, Stuart has spent over four decades celebrating American roots music. His teenage years on tour with bluegrass legend Lester Flatt in the ’70s were followed by six years in Johnny Cash’s band in the ’80s, and a chart-topping tenure as a solo artist in the ’90s. Stuart hosts a Late Night Jam at The Ryman, a yearly tradition which kicks off the CMA Music Festival, with recent guests including Dolly Parton, Jerry Lee Lewis, Neko Case, Eric Church, Chris Stapleton, Maren Morris, Dan Auerbach and many more.
