“On the Sunday morning sidewalk..”
That tune reverberated through my head as I limped home after working for five hours at the Johnny Cash Flower Pickin’ Festival – held today in my hometown.
I LOVE MY TOWN!
I didn’t have to walk far, and it gave me time to ruminate about Cash, the entertainer and his exceptional life.
I put my favorite Johnny Cash song in the CD player …”Sunday morning coming down. ”
This is the second annual Johnny Cash festival for our little city, and it’s growing nicely. This year both his daughters, Roseanne Cash and Kathy Cash Tittle were on the menu.
C-Span even showed up to cover the event.
In case you don’t know, or don’t care, Johnny Cash was arrested in Starkville , Mississippi on May 11, 1965. He was inebriated and picking flowers in the yard of one of Starkville’s most fastidious gardeners. He was rushed to the Starkville City jail where he cooled his heels for a whole night. He later wrote a song entitled “Starkville City Jail.”
Years later, Johnny Cash experienced redemption in the first degree. He was able to rise above his addictions and become a stellar performer. That night in the Starkville city jail was pivotal, according to his bass player, Marshall Grant, who was here to tell the whole story today. We renamed the Starkville drunk tank the “Johnny Cash Suite.” People actually took tours.
A young man named Robbie Ward decided this event should not be overlooked. He organized the first festival last year with few resources – but a whole lot of moxie, He has brought people into our little city and added performers like “Ring of Fire”(below) who perform around the country. 
The thing that made this day so wonderful was that I met people from around the world who are Johnny Cash fans and go anywhere to homor his memory.