I idolize Johnny Cash. So much so that I drink tea exclusively from a cup emblazoned with his image. This is the level my obsession has reached. Despite being a country artist his life is the quintessential rock and roll story. Most people know the story from Walk The Line but where that film ends is where things get really interesting. The 70’s and 80’s were a lean period with critical and commercial success in short supply. By the dawn of the 90’s he was just another washed up country star, trading on past glories with little or no appeal to modern audiences. Enter Rick Rubin. Rubin was the founder of Def Jam Records. As a producer he had worked mostly with rap and rock acts such as LL Cool J, Run-DMC, Slayer, Beastie Boys, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Public Enemy. In 1993 Rubin renamed the label American Recordings … There’s more →