Rosanne Cash Speaks About Spirituality and Her Musical Legacy

Jonny Whiteside

Whenever Rosanne Cash takes the stage, she brings both a sweeping expanse of her own individualistic artistry and a distinguished country music pedigree. Cash has worked diligently to establish her own distinctive voice and, while ineluctably bound to the memory and legacy of her father, Country Music Hall of Fame member Johnny Cash, her current album “The River & The Thread” ably demonstrates how far she has advanced.

Cash’s set is rich and moody, featuring impeccably-crafted lyrics. It all projects a studied, deliberate and expressive style that’s clearly stamped with the austere yet pliant Cash DNA. She explores common yet complex psychic territory, part deep spiritualism and part bittersweet longing. All of it is delivered with an instinctive, analytical tone. Cash’s voice, informed by her considerable literary work as a successful author, is a mix of seeking and seeing, part conflict and part self-assurance. All of it carries great communicative appeal.

Whether it’s lyrics or prose, Cash said the two writing styles have many similarities.

“I don’t feel divided. I feel that my work, my legacy and words and music are all of one piece,” Cash told Entertainment Voice. “I’m a writer, and the different forms aren’t like changing professions, they are like going from oil to watercolor. That’s a good metaphor as I get a lot of inspiration from visual artists, along with music of course, nature, bits of conversation, travel, films. I am just on the lookout for inspiration. You never know where the seed of a song or a story might be hiding.”

“I am a restless person, and I feel lucky that I can write both songs and prose,” Cash said. “There is also no division between my family legacy and my own work. It’s not the same work as my father, and it’s not the same work as my daughter, who is also a songwriter. But there is a thread between us all, and music is currency in my family. Music explains everything.”

The music is played out against a backdrop supercharged with historical and cultural context. Cash, after all, first hit the road as part of Johnny’s road show in 1978, when country was still country and his schedule was an endless trek of one-night stands at county fairs and civic auditoriums in small rural towns. These were far more common than performances at venues like Carnegie Hall and the Hollywood Bowl.

Cash has been successful in her own right. She earned her first No. 1 hit in 1981 with “Seven Year Ache,” and the success continued with “The River and the Thread,” which was No. 1 on Americana charts for 14 weeks. Along the way, Cash has won numerous awards and accolades. All of which she has handled with an easy dignity and low-key grace.

“I’ve followed this path for over 35 years and it led me to country radio and Nashville, and it led me out of that as well,” Cash said. “I’ve lived in New York City for 25 years. I’ve sung on a traditional Celtic ballads record, and I sang at a Rolling Stones tribute concert. And those two things are very connected to me: I’m equally inspired. I love George Jones and I love Aaron Copland. All music is spiritual.”

“I always feel my best work is ahead of me, which is an exciting way to live,” Cash continued. “I’m not burnt out. I care more than ever about my work. There is so much I still want to attain and express, much of it non-verbal. Our longing makes us human, and makes us reach. That’s good.”