Student radio remembers Cash with tribute

The loss of singer/songwriter Johnny Cash has touched many in the Bloomington community. \nCash died Friday, Sept. 12 of respiratory failure due to diabetes.\nIU will pay tribute to the music legend when WIUS, the campus's student-run radio station, begins its broadcast season on Monday. \nCash's wide appeal has led disparate audiences to embrace his work. Although many IU undergrads say they aren't Cash fans, deejays at WIUS regularly include him in their lineup.\n"We've always played Johnny Cash even though he's not format just because we like him," said Lucy Robinson, DJ and music director of WIUS. "His album came out last semester and we play that a lot. It was stolen out of the station, though."\nRobinson laughingly speculated that the thief must be a devoted Cash fan.\nThe station's morning show, airing from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., will include a number of Cash hits.\nOutside IU, members of the Bloomington community also remember Cash's life through his music.\n"We've had hundreds of calls since late last week," said Stew Lualdi, a late-night deejay at local station WFHB. "A lot of people have been asking to hear his music."\nLualdi said he's always programmed Cash's music on his night show and has been happy to comply with the increased volume of requests to hear Cash songs. One of the songs most frequently requested by Lualdi's listeners has been, "Man in Black."\nCash had his first major success in 1956 when his fourth single, "I Walk the Line," became a number one hit on the Billboard charts. More accolades followed, including an invitation to perform on the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tenn. \n"He had demons his whole life," said professor Glenn Gass, who teaches rock history at IU. "I think that most people aren't that honest about (their struggles) … it gain(ed) him a lot of credibility with the counter-culture."\nCash eventually managed to pull himself together with the help of fellow country singer June Carter, whom he later married. \nIn 1969 he revived his career with the premier of, "The Johnny Cash Show" on ABC. He continued to make recordings up until his death.\nGass attributed Cash's long career to his versatility.\n"He was never stuck in a style so he was able to grow and challenge himself," Gass said. "He's a pure product of America -- all the cultural and musical streams."\nCash's induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1980 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995 cemented his place in America's musical history. \nThe Country Music Hall of Fame has honored the occasion of Cash's death in several ways. \n"The flag was lowered to half-mast," said Tina Wright, a media relations spokeswoman for the Hall of Fame. She added that when a member of the Hall of Fame dies it is customary to drape the plaque celebrating the artist's achievements in a black shroud. \nGass said many students in his rock history classes are enthusiastic about Cash's music.\n"Students of mine think he1s cool," Gass said. "When I mentioned Johnny Cash (in class) I heard several claps."\n-- Contact staff writer Elise Baker at elimbake@indiana.edu