Four Song First Wave Presents New Performances by Hard Working Americans and Shawn Camp plus Tracks by Ana Cristina Cash and Elvis Costello & The Imposters, all with words by Johnny Cash

Legacy Recordings, a division of Sony Music Entertainment, will release Johnny Cash – Forever Words (Expanded Edition), a digital edition of the original album plus 18 new songs (16 previously unreleased) by various artists, with words by Johnny Cash. The album’s new tracks are digital-only and made available on all DSPs in a series of four waves beginning Friday, October 23.

Johnny Cash – Forever Words (Expanded Edition) out now https://JohnnyCash.lnk.to/FWEPR  

Watch a video trailer for Johnny Cash: Forever Words here:  https://JohnnyCash.lnk.to/FWETrailerPR

In the timeless spirit of songwriting collaboration, the album’s lyric content is drawn from poems, lyrics and other writings–many previously unpublished–by Johnny Cash while the music is newly composed and performed by contemporary artists inspired directly by Cash’s words.

Produced by John Carter Cash, Johnny Cash – Forever Words (Expanded Edition) was mainly recorded at The Cash Cabin Studio in Hendersonville, Tennessee.

Premiering online with the original album on October 23, the first wave of Johnny Cash – Forever Words (Expanded Edition) debuts two new songs–“Big Hearted Girl” by Hard Working Americans and “I’m Comin’ Honey” by Shawn Camp–alongside the previously-released “Brand New Pair of Shoes” by Ana Cristina Cash and “If You Love Me” by Elvis Costello & The Imposters, all featuring words by Johnny Cash.

Wave 2, breaking December 11, adds five new performances to the album: “I’ve Been Around” by Marty Stuart, “Who’s Gonna Grease My Skillet? by John Popper, “California Poem” by Jamey Johnson (featuring Jerry Douglas and Sam Bush), “Little Patch of Grass” by Brandon Robert Young and Clare Bowen, and “The Dogs Are In The Woods” by John McEuen.

The third wave of new performances for Johnny Cash – Forever Words (Expanded Edition) is slated for February 5, 2021, when fans will get their first listen to the songs: “Does Anybody Out There Love Me?” by Jewel, “Autumn” by The Watkins Family Hour, “Let It Be Tonight” by Ira Dean and “Pretty Pictures in My Mind” by The Lumineers.

On April 2, 2021, the digital-only Johnny Cash – Forever Words (Expanded Edition) will debut five new songs: “Outta Site Tonite” by Ronnie Dunn and The Brad Paisley Band, “My Song” by Runaway Jane, “Dark and Bloody Ground” by Ruston Kelly, “The Third Degree” by Aaron Lewis and “Tecemseh” by Bill Miller.

The 16-song original version of Johnny Cash – Forever Words was released in April 2018 and includes performances by Chris Cornell, Ruston Kelly & Kacey Musgraves, Rosanne Cash, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Kris Kristofferson & Willie Nelson, Brad Paisley, John Mellencamp, Carlene Carter, Elvis Costello, The Jayhawks and more. Songs created from Johnny Cash’s unknown poetry, lyrics, and letters were set to music by some of pop and country music’s most prominent artists.

When Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash passed, they left behind what John Carter Cash, their son and Johnny Cash: Forever Words co-producer, describes as a “monstrous amassment” of things, including a treasure trove of undiscovered material that includes Johnny Cash’s handwritten letters, poems and documents, penned across the entirety of his life. Over the years, John Carter Cash and co-producers worked with a stellar cast of musicians to create new music to accompany these newly discovered Cash writings.

The resulting album also served as the musical companion to the best-selling “Forever Words: The Unknown Poems,” a volume of Cash’s unpublished writing edited by Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Paul Muldoon. Many of the songs on Johnny Cash: Forever Words were directly inspired by material later published in the book while others are drawn from different sources of Cash’s unpublished writings.

“My father touched the world of music in ways still evolving. The original body of work in Forever Words held some of Dad’s best unreleased writings, put to music by some of the most prolific artists alive today,” said John Carter Cash. “But there was more: poetry and lyrics that no one had ever seen, whose depth demanded the continuance of the project. And, with true artists who found melody and beauty in these unseen words, the recordings continued. Looking back now, I feel Dad would be proud to know his voice and spirit carry on here, in these Forever Words.”

Johnny Cash: Forever Words – Original Album

1. Forever/I Still Miss Someone – Kris Kristofferson and Willie Nelson

2. To June This Morning – Ruston Kelly and Kacey Musgraves

3. Gold All Over the Ground – Brad Paisley

4. You Never Knew My Mind – Chris Cornell

5. The Captain’s Daughter – Alison Krauss and Union Station

6. Jellico Coal Man – T. Bone Burnett

7. The Walking Wounded – Rosanne Cash

8. Them Double Blues – John Mellencamp

9. Body on Body – Jewel

10. I’ll Still Love You – Elvis Costello

11. June’s Sundown – Carlene Carter

12. He Bore It All – Dailey & Vincent

13. Chinky Pin Hill – I’m With Her

14. Goin’, Goin’, Gone – Robert Glasper featuring Ro James, and Anu Sun

15. What Would I Dreamer Do? – The Jayhawks

16. Spirit Rider – Jamey Johnson

Johnny Cash – Forever Words (Expanded Edition) includes Original Album PLUS

October 23, 2020

Big Hearted Girl – Hard Working Americans

I’m Comin’ Honey – Shawn Camp

Brand New Pair of Shoes – Ana Cristina Cash

If You Love Me – Elvis Costello & The Imposters

December 11, 2020

I’ve Been Around – Marty Stuart 

Who’s Gonna Grease My Skillet? – John Popper 

California Poem – Jamey Johnson (Featuring Jerry Douglas and Sam Bush)

Little Patch of Grass – Brandon Robert Young and Clare Bowen

The Dogs Are In  The Woods – John McEuen

February 5, 2021

Does Anybody Out There Love Me? – Jewel

Autumn – The Watkins Family Hour

Let it be Tonight – Ira Dean  

Pretty Pictures in My Mind – The Lumineers

April 2, 2021

Outta Site Tonite – Ronnie Dunn and The Brad Paisley Band

My Song – Runaway June

Dark and Bloody Ground – Ruston Kelly

The Third Degree – Aaron Lewis

Tecumseh – Bill Miller