Country legend Johnny Cash featured in new, in-depth biography.

THE NEW biography of country music legend Johnny Cash, The Man Called Cash: The Life, Love and Faith Of An American Legend was launched at the Country Music Hall Of Fame in Nashville on September 9th, the anniversary weekend of Cash's death. The book is written by well known British-born rock journalist and Christian, Steve Turner, author of biographies of artists such as Eric Clapton, Van Morrison, and Marvin Gaye. Kate Etue, senior editor at W Publishing Group, came up with the idea for the book while reading in Entertainment Weekly about Walk The Line, the upcoming movie about Cash starring Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon. According to Etue, the book originally was set to be about Cash's spiritual journey. But when he died September 12th 2003, the focus of the book shifted to tell Cash's complete life story, although Turner still wanted to keep a strong focus on Cash's spiritual life. "You can't understand his life and his work without understanding his faith," he said.

As part of his research, Turner tracked down people like Cash's first music teacher and old girlfriends, and the widow of the pastor that baptized him. Turner also spoke with each of Cash's children and Cash's brother and sister. It was interesting to see the different views of the children," Turner said. "They all grew up with him at different times, so you're getting five different perspectives. I wanted the book to be all of these voices coming together. "The fact that he (Turner) didn't have the man himself right there to talk to made him double check everything instead of being spoon fed," Etue said. "You'll see a lot of contradictions, but Cash was a walking contradiction: an outlaw, but so devout, so spiritually driven. I think that comes through when you're not just sitting there taking information from someone."