An impersonation of a rock and roll singer impersonating Elvis
August 23, 2009 11:55 PM Subscribe
Wikipedia: As his career was taking off in the early 1960s, Cash started drinking heavily and became addicted to amphetamines and barbiturates. For a brief time, he shared an apartment in Nashville with Waylon Jennings, who was heavily addicted to amphetamines. Cash used the uppers to stay awake during tours. Friends joked about his "nervousness" and erratic behavior, many ignoring the warning signs of his worsening drug addiction. In a behind-the-scenes look at The Johnny Cash Show, Cash claims to have "tried every drug there was to try."
Speed doesn't explain everything that happened later.
posted by twoleftfeet at 12:36 AM on August 24, 2009
Speed doesn't explain everything that happened later.
posted by twoleftfeet at 12:36 AM on August 24, 2009
What prompted the speed remarks? You reckon he's on it because he's goofing off? Elvis wasn't exactly drug innocent either.
posted by dabitch at 12:58 AM on August 24, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by dabitch at 12:58 AM on August 24, 2009 [1 favorite]
I saw Johnny Cash live. One of the musical highlights of me life. Adding nothing to the discussion, but I do like to brag.
posted by Abiezer at 1:01 AM on August 24, 2009 [4 favorites]
posted by Abiezer at 1:01 AM on August 24, 2009 [4 favorites]
What prompted the speed remarks?
Cash looked a little too into the role. He was also well known for enjoying amphetamines.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 1:05 AM on August 24, 2009
Cash looked a little too into the role. He was also well known for enjoying amphetamines.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 1:05 AM on August 24, 2009
Elvis wasn't exactly drug innocent either.
He's the pot in black.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 1:08 AM on August 24, 2009 [2 favorites]
He's the pot in black.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 1:08 AM on August 24, 2009 [2 favorites]
Elvis singing Johnny Cash.
Andy Kaufmanimpersonating channeling Elvis on the Johnny Cash Show.
posted by vapidave at 1:45 AM on August 24, 2009 [5 favorites]
Andy Kaufman
posted by vapidave at 1:45 AM on August 24, 2009 [5 favorites]
That was Johnny Cash? Looked almost like Jerry Lewis.
You've left out a crucial "Lee" here, bwg, unless you think Cash looked like Dean Martin's sidekick...
posted by flapjax at midnite at 4:03 AM on August 24, 2009
You've left out a crucial "Lee" here, bwg, unless you think Cash looked like Dean Martin's sidekick...
posted by flapjax at midnite at 4:03 AM on August 24, 2009
Actually, did you really mean Jerry Lewis?
posted by flapjax at midnite at 4:08 AM on August 24, 2009
posted by flapjax at midnite at 4:08 AM on August 24, 2009
Johnny Cash knew Elvis, they were buddies. I think what this clip shows is 1.) how deliciously imitable Elvis was and, 2.) how insanely jealous every other singer in the world was of his success. It also shows the power of his image and the fear it inspired at every level of show business, along with the rest of society. Elvis simply was, for a brief period, a lightning bolt across the sky. Johnny Cash was humbled and frightened like everybody else -- I mean, everybody but Jerry Lee. (And the Jerry Lewis that Johnny Cash appears to be embarrassingly like in this clip is indeed the former partner of Dean Martin.)
posted by Faze at 4:14 AM on August 24, 2009 [2 favorites]
posted by Faze at 4:14 AM on August 24, 2009 [2 favorites]
That was some greasy hair. Is there anyone out there who still uses Brycreem?
posted by digsrus at 4:38 AM on August 24, 2009
posted by digsrus at 4:38 AM on August 24, 2009
Brylcreem is indeed live and well and apparently, judging from their US website, targeting the lucrative foot/crush-fetishist-international-cougar man-whore demographic.
posted by Pollomacho at 5:55 AM on August 24, 2009
posted by Pollomacho at 5:55 AM on August 24, 2009
targeting the lucrative foot/crush-fetishist-international-cougar man-whore demographic.
*pauses for a second. Puts comb down. Puts away Brylcreem. Takes out Nu Nile. Resumes combing*
posted by The Whelk at 6:11 AM on August 24, 2009 [1 favorite]
*pauses for a second. Puts comb down. Puts away Brylcreem. Takes out Nu Nile. Resumes combing*
posted by The Whelk at 6:11 AM on August 24, 2009 [1 favorite]
I always loved this clip of Johnny Cash doing Elvis. He does seem to be a little worked up, but nothing as bad as the spots on Pete Seeger's show. For example - this. When you consider how bad he must have had it - it's amazing the way he straightened himself out.
posted by thankyoujohnnyfever at 6:42 AM on August 24, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by thankyoujohnnyfever at 6:42 AM on August 24, 2009 [1 favorite]
"crush-fetishist"
I almost Googled this, then thought better of it.
posted by aerotive at 6:54 AM on August 24, 2009
I almost Googled this, then thought better of it.
posted by aerotive at 6:54 AM on August 24, 2009
Hold on, now. I don't want this pomade. I want Dapper Dan.
posted by kirkaracha at 7:16 AM on August 24, 2009 [2 favorites]
posted by kirkaracha at 7:16 AM on August 24, 2009 [2 favorites]
Goddammit, I'm a Dapper Dan man!!
posted by Greg_Ace at 7:18 AM on August 24, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by Greg_Ace at 7:18 AM on August 24, 2009 [1 favorite]
I'm Elvis this is how Elvis moves swing the hips swing the hips ha ha ha now my hair is like Elvis oh man swing the hips now I'm going to that voice ha swing swing swing rock and roll hips ...
posted by geoff. at 7:58 AM on August 24, 2009
posted by geoff. at 7:58 AM on August 24, 2009
I am all for the state of Tennessee, at the very least, making the association of "LOL" with Johnny Cash a capital crime.
posted by Halloween Jack at 8:21 AM on August 24, 2009 [2 favorites]
posted by Halloween Jack at 8:21 AM on August 24, 2009 [2 favorites]
I am all for the state of Tennessee, at the very least, making the association of "LOL" with Johnny Cash a capital crime.
That might be a little harsh. I'd suggest that offenders just get a few cuts from the Johnny Cash knife.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 8:30 AM on August 24, 2009
That might be a little harsh. I'd suggest that offenders just get a few cuts from the Johnny Cash knife.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 8:30 AM on August 24, 2009
"5-year-old kid doing Johnny Cash."
A 5-year-old stuck in Folsom Prison?!
NSFW!
posted by markkraft at 10:12 AM on August 24, 2009
A 5-year-old stuck in Folsom Prison?!
NSFW!
posted by markkraft at 10:12 AM on August 24, 2009
I saw Johnny Cash live. One of the musical highlights of me life. Adding nothing to the discussion, but I do like to brag.
Yeah? So? In 1984 *I* rode in a Dodge conversion van that was formerly owned by Johnny Cash. It belonged to the parents of some friends of my cousins. And I know it was formerly owned by Johnny Cash because they'd gone to the engraving shop at the mall and gotten a little plaque made that said "This van was once owned by Johnny Cash" and had glued it to the front of the glove compartment. And why would anyone ever do that if the van hadn't actually been owned by Johnny Cash?
I like to brag too, see.
My life is so tiny.
posted by mudpuppie at 10:54 AM on August 24, 2009 [2 favorites]
Yeah? So? In 1984 *I* rode in a Dodge conversion van that was formerly owned by Johnny Cash. It belonged to the parents of some friends of my cousins. And I know it was formerly owned by Johnny Cash because they'd gone to the engraving shop at the mall and gotten a little plaque made that said "This van was once owned by Johnny Cash" and had glued it to the front of the glove compartment. And why would anyone ever do that if the van hadn't actually been owned by Johnny Cash?
I like to brag too, see.
My life is so tiny.
posted by mudpuppie at 10:54 AM on August 24, 2009 [2 favorites]
If you tour Sun Studios in Memphis, there is a moment when they play a recording of Elvis, who starts giggling during the performance. The tour guide will tell you, Elvis was standing right here on this side of you performing, and you see that window on the other side of you? There was somebody on the other side of that window, looking through at Elvis and making faces at him, and that's what made him laugh, and that person was Johnny Cash.
It's pretty spooky to experience. It's like you're standing between their ghosts.
posted by Astro Zombie at 11:19 AM on August 24, 2009 [1 favorite]
It's pretty spooky to experience. It's like you're standing between their ghosts.
posted by Astro Zombie at 11:19 AM on August 24, 2009 [1 favorite]
A 5-year-old stuck in Folsom Prison?!
Folsom Pwison. it's the juvie facility.
posted by kirkaracha at 11:40 AM on August 24, 2009 [2 favorites]
A guy broke out of Folsom once by digging a hole. When he got out on the other side, he threw his arms in the air and shouted I'm free! I'm free.
A little boy watching him shook his head. So what, the boy said. I'm four.
posted by Astro Zombie at 11:45 AM on August 24, 2009 [1 favorite]
A little boy watching him shook his head. So what, the boy said. I'm four.
posted by Astro Zombie at 11:45 AM on August 24, 2009 [1 favorite]
"Yeah? So? In 1984 *I* rode in a Dodge conversion van that was formerly owned by Johnny Cash."
So? When *I* was working parking cars at the Marco Polo Hotel in Florida in 1968, I once opened the door of a van to find Tiny Tim sitting in the back, in a trench coat, with the temp about 100 degrees. Johnny Cash was NOT in that vehicle, but it WAS a van. I reached in and shook his hand, 'cuz I knew that 40 years later I could tell this story. (thank you internets!)
posted by HuronBob at 12:40 PM on August 24, 2009
So? When *I* was working parking cars at the Marco Polo Hotel in Florida in 1968, I once opened the door of a van to find Tiny Tim sitting in the back, in a trench coat, with the temp about 100 degrees. Johnny Cash was NOT in that vehicle, but it WAS a van. I reached in and shook his hand, 'cuz I knew that 40 years later I could tell this story. (thank you internets!)
posted by HuronBob at 12:40 PM on August 24, 2009
My dad had a buddy back in the 80’s who bought a used stretch limo to use as a van or Winnebago for long trips. Once at a gas station in rural Alabama a young station attendant asked who was inside. He immediately told him, “Dolly Parton.” Of course he had to get an autograph so my dad’s friend made his wife open the window a tiny crack and sign “Love, Dolly” on a slip of paper.
This story has nothing to do with vans or Johnny Cash.
posted by Pollomacho at 1:05 PM on August 24, 2009 [2 favorites]
This story has nothing to do with vans or Johnny Cash.
posted by Pollomacho at 1:05 PM on August 24, 2009 [2 favorites]
Is this where I trundle out my story about bunking with Wayne Newton's crusty old gay native american, race horse trainer... naw, another thread, this is all about Johnny Cash!
posted by sammyo at 4:17 PM on August 24, 2009
posted by sammyo at 4:17 PM on August 24, 2009
No I meant Jerry Lewis, as in Dean Martin's sidekick.
It was all those loose hips / sore back jokes Cash was making.
posted by bwg at 4:23 PM on August 24, 2009
It was all those loose hips / sore back jokes Cash was making.
posted by bwg at 4:23 PM on August 24, 2009
Astro Zombie: "It's pretty spooky to experience. It's like you're standing between their ghosts."
That sounds so cheesy but it really is true. Being in that room makes your hair stand on end.
posted by Roman Graves at 5:54 PM on August 24, 2009
That sounds so cheesy but it really is true. Being in that room makes your hair stand on end.
posted by Roman Graves at 5:54 PM on August 24, 2009
It's pretty spooky to experience. It's like you're standing between their ghosts.
You know who else used to hang around with Elvis while he was recording back in those days too? Ike Turner, how come they don't tell you about that in the tour?
posted by Pollomacho at 6:12 PM on August 24, 2009
You know who else used to hang around with Elvis while he was recording back in those days too? Ike Turner, how come they don't tell you about that in the tour?
posted by Pollomacho at 6:12 PM on August 24, 2009
They didn't mention him in the studio, Pollomacho, but upstairs my tour guide talked about Ike extensively.
posted by Roman Graves at 6:44 PM on August 24, 2009
posted by Roman Graves at 6:44 PM on August 24, 2009
That's cool. Last time I went (years ago) I asked about Ike and the tour guide looked like I'd asked him about his penis cancer. Then again it was around the time that "get on the stage Tina" move came out and Ike Turner wasn't exactly the most respected name in show business. Plus the tour guide was hoping someone would ask him about Elvis's real middle name or some such.
posted by Pollomacho at 7:22 PM on August 24, 2009
posted by Pollomacho at 7:22 PM on August 24, 2009
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posted by Blazecock Pileon at 12:24 AM on August 24, 2009 [4 favorites]