David Allen Coe
Johnny Cash Is A Friend Of Mine

1. One Piece At A Time
2. Folsom Prison Blues
3. Sunday Morning Down
4. Ballad Of A Teenage Queen
5. Hey Porter
6. Get Rhythm
7. I Walk The Line
8. Ring Of Fire
9. Cry ! Cry ! Cry !
10. Doin My Time

Johnny Cash is a friend of mine. That’s what it says  on the belt buckle, the one Johnny Cash gave to all of us that night after we preformed on his 25 Th Anniversary Show. John has been in and out of my life so many times over the past thirty years, that it’s hard for me to believe that my name is never mentioned when I read the books he’s written about his life. But then again, there are so many people in John’s life that our times together might have meant more for to me, then him. If it weren’t for John, I’d never married Jody. I’d never had three wonderful children, Tanya, Shyanne, and Carson. It was John that brought Jody and I back together on thanksgiving Day. We Were at John’s house as we filmed " The Last Days Of Jesse James" when I met my son Tyler. There were also other movies like "StageCoach" That John and I were in together. When we recorded his "Precious Memories" album I wrote the liner notes. Then there was "Cocaine Carolina" a song that I wrote and sang with John on. Those events were all milestone in my memory. People often tie John and I together for some reason, I guess it’s because one of John’s songs "Folsom Prison Blues" and I’m one of the most famous ex-convicts. There was a time when John and I recorded on CBS Records. When CBS Dropped John from their label, I refused to record for them anymore. I sat my contract out. The, when Moe Lytle asked me to do a tribute album to Johnny Cash, I agreed to do it if we called the album "Johnny Cash Is A Friend Of Mine" …. Because he is. He always will be. Now I’m 58 years old I’ve been through a divorce with Jody. Even so, there is much to be thankful for. The years we have had together, and our beautiful children. Today I heard on the news that John Cash is in the hospital in Nashville. In the little house I rent in Nashville I’ve got one wall that has only Johnny Cash gold records and pictures on it. But of all the things I have that connect John and I together, my most prize possession well be this album of Johnny Cash songs. When I first heard " Folsom Prison Blues " and "I Walk The Line" it was still Doin My Time". Then I was free when " Ring Of Fire" was burning up the charts. I love "Hey Porter" because my step dad who worked on the railroad, would tell me stories when I was a kid. Of coarse, divorce made me "Cry Cry Cry " My heart was with my daddy, who worked in those Detroit factories. That’s why his favorite songs was "One Piece At A Time" There are some many great Johnny Cash songs that it was hard to chose which ones to do on this collection. I hope people to like the way sing John’s songs. I did them because I wanted to, and because Johnny Cash is my fiend. David Allan Coe 1998