THE SHOW
While James Garner is not a Johnny Cash impersonator, he is a Johnny Cash fan (a really big one). Garner became hooked on Cash’s music at an early age, getting his hands on everything Cash—music, books, videos, memorabilia, etc. At age fourteen, Garner met Cash backstage after one of the singer’s shows, shaking his hand and telling him he was his “biggest fan.” It is against that backdrop which Garner presents the Man in Black’s music—a big fan, respectfully playing music for legions of other Cash fans while paying tribute to his boyhood hero.
Tribute act does not always equal class act.
James Garner (not that one) has idolized Johnny Cash since he was a kid and takes pains to ensure his musical tribute to Cash never goes the cheap-impersonation route.
“People hear the notion of a tribute act and say, ‘Oh my gosh, it is an Elvis impersonator,’ ” said Garner, who on Saturday night will play Sacramento’s Guild Theater with his band. “We try to do it out of reverence and out of respect—I am just a guy who is a fan.”… read more