'Walk the Line' to Granbury Live': Johnny Cash tribute concert set for Nov. 13

A tribute concert to the “Man in Black,” otherwise known as Johnny Cash, will take place at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 13, at Granbury Live.

Nashville recording artist and Dallas resident Doug Allen Nash will "channel” the country music icon as he captures the appearance, vocals, speech, mannerisms and spirit of the late Johnny Cash.

Nash grew up on a farm in northwest Illinois and began performing at local talent shows at the young age of five — even forming his own band by the age of 12.

It was that same year when his parents took him to his first Johnny Cash concert, thus sparking the beginning of what would become one of Nash’s greatest passions and career.

At the age of 20, Nash was performing all over the world and receiving recognition for touring for the United Service Organizations (USO), Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) and Armed Forces Entertainment. He received the U.S. Defense Department’s Certificate of Esteem Award, Certificate of Recognition Award and the Republic of Korea’s Apple of Excellence Award. During a six-year period, he entertained American troops overseas, touring 87 countries in all.

In 1992 when Nash was in his early 20s, he got the opportunity to meet Cash in person in Copenhagen, Denmark, which ultimately led to his most impactful career choice.

“I walked up to him at an airport terminal. He was looking at leather jackets with two of his daughters,” Nash said. “I went up to him and I said ‘Johnny, I'm a huge fan.’ We talked about Nashville. We talked a little bit about songwriting. He was very kind and gracious. I can remember as a young guy that John had a presence. I can remember seeing broken blood vessels under his eyes and on his nose, thinking at the time that this guy lived.”

The chance meeting with Cash inspired Nash to create his "#1 Johnny Cash Tribute Show” as a way of keeping the legacies of the beloved artist alive.

For more than 15 years, Nash has captivated audiences with the essence of the legendary performer while also incorporating his own style and showcasing his genuine passion for Cash’s music.

The 39-year-old even has the blessing of John Carter Cash, Johnny and June Carter Cash’s son, who heads the Cash Cabin Studio in Hendersonville, Tennessee. Cash Cabin Studios is where Nash recorded “June,” a heartfelt ballad dedicated to June Carter Cash. Nash was inspired to write the song after watching a Johnny Cash documentary on PBS and hearing the words, “He loved her tenderly,” spoken by John Carter Cash on his parents’ marriage. The song was co-written and co-produced with Jeff Silverman, and the engineering mix was done by John Carter Cash and Chuck Turner.

"I did a video in the Cash Cabin Studio, the same place Johnny Cash recorded and performed,” Nash said. “John was always a legend, but he's become even more of a legend. I didn't realize the significance of meeting him that first time and then going back to the studio with John Carter Cash and being able to perform for him a song that I co-wrote about Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash's relationship. I think his legacy gets bigger every year and I think that we're living in a time where everybody's looking for something raw, real, something truthful and Johnny was willing to put it out there. He wasn't perfect. Nobody's perfect. But his songs, you could relate. Johnny Cash had a song and a truthfulness that related to anyone.”

Nash has scored hits internationally with Cash’s songs, “Long-Legged Guitar Pickin’ Man” and “If I Give My Soul,” reaching No. 5 and No. 14, respectively, on Europe’s top 100 Country Charts — and getting airplay in no fewer than 17 countries.

The most-requested — and “most-relatable” — of Cash’s songs, according to Nash is “Sunday Morning Coming Down.”

Nash has performed in theaters, resorts and casinos from coast to coast, including the legendary Caesar’s Palace on the Las Vegas strip, the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Oklahoma, Nashville’s Opryland Hotel and the Taj Mahal in Atlantic City.

He was also invited to headline “The 20th Anniversary Johnny Cash Concert” at Hollywood’s famed Viper Room.

In 2013, Nash was inducted into the Legends of South Dakota Country Music Hall of Fame. He has opened concerts for popular artists such as The Beach Boys, The Oak Ridge Boys, Huey Lewis and the News, Montgomery Gentry, Charlie Daniels Band and Wayne Newton.

Nash still has farmland in Illinois, and when he can take a moment to relax during his busy concert schedule, he likes to saddle up in his cowboy hat, boots and jeans for a trail ride, which is indicative of why he loves Texas and Granbury.

When asked what he’s most excited about for attendees to experience during his show, he replied, “I want them to walk out feeling better than when they walked in, make new friends and share in this gift called life.”

Tickets for the Johnny Cash Tribute show are $32 and $38 for VIP.

To purchase tickets, visit thenewgranburylive.com.