REMEMBERING LOU ROBIN

So sad to hear that Lou Robin has passed away in California a few days before his 91st birthday. For more than thirty years he managed the career of Johnny Cash and continued looking after Cash's legacy following his death in 2003.

Lou was always kind and supportive of my work on the Fanzine, in which I interviewed him, and also my book, for which he wrote the foreword to the first edition and is reproduced below. He was always there to answer my constant email requests and when I gave up the Fanzine a few years ago he wrote a lovely email thanking me for my work.

I only met him once, in Nashville back in 2003, during my stay when I attended the Memorial Show. He organised my visit and ticket for the show.

I will be forever grateful to have known this kind man who will be missed by everyone who knew him. He is now reunited with his lovely wife Karen. R.I.P. Lou

Lou and Karen (Photo: Mark Stielper)

Foreword by Lou Robin

 
I began working with Johnny Cash and June Carter in 1969 as a concert promoter and in 1972 I became their personal manager and remain so to date. My career in the music business started in 1957 and I have worked with such stars as The Beatles, Judy Garland, The Rolling Stones, Bill Cosby and many more. In all these years I have never shared any relationship with an artist as emotionally rewarding as the one I share with Johnny and June. The Cash Family, musicians, the road crew and office staff have all worked together to help make life on the road, over 100 days each year, as comfortable as it could be.
 
It is said that artists are unique and different because of their talent. I believe that the real superstars in music, theatre and art have maximized their God-given talents to accomplish true greatness. Johnny Cash is certainly one of those people.
 
Johnny rose from humble beginnings to become an internationally acclaimed songwriter, singer, poet, actor and author. In so doing he became a role model to those who have slipped and fallen and even to those who did not slip in their travels through life. Johnny’s example has enabled so many people to pick themselves up and keep heading toward their life’s goals.
 
This book is the only published chronicle of Johnny’s quest to bring his words and music to the world and to hopefully create happiness and encourage social awareness for millions of people for decades past and future.
 
My associate Allen Tinkley and I remember being on the road with Johnny in some unusual places. We were once in the middle of Finland playing in a warehouse to thousands of fans who had come by special train from Helsinki.
 
Then there was the first of four concerts in Prague, Czechoslovakia where 44,000 tickets had been sold. Just before he was about to walk on stage, Johnny turned to me and wondered aloud if the audience would understand the lyrics to his songs. Johnny was very touched when thousands who knew and understood every word began to sing along.
 
Another time we were in Gdansk, Poland at a folk festival while the country was still under communist control. Freedom supporters had arranged a secret meeting between Johnny and Lech Walesa at a church on the Sunday we were scheduled to leave the country. When the government learned of the meeting, it was cancelled due to “security problems.”
 
I remember the day that Johnny and Mohammed Ali exchanged poetry they composed off the top of their heads while sitting in Ali’s hotel room prior to a championship fight in New Orleans.
 
Another fun evening was at a private party in Hong Kong held at a deserted British military base a couple of miles from the Chinese border. The guest of honor had hired Johnny, Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings, better known together as the “Highwaymen” to perform for his special evening. Johnny, Willie, Kris and Waylon stood on stage and performed requests shouted at them by the 180 or so guests in attendance.
 
One cold winter night we played a concert in Belfast, Northern Ireland at a church. The political factions were heavy into the fighting. Somehow the promoter quietly got a truce declared until noon the following day when we would be gone. This way the people would not be going to the sold-out, double shows dodging explosions!
 
We also gave tickets on opposite sides of the Church to each faction. So they were all in the same room together for the first time enjoying an event of common interest. The next morning we went to the currency exchange to make a bank transfer to the U.S. before we left for Dublin on our tour bus. Later that same day we heard that the currency exchange had been blown up that afternoon!
 
These stories could go on forever but in summary I want to say that Johnny Cash has been able to go anywhere in the world to entertain. His music has cleared all language barriers and I believe his remarkable talent will prevail forever.
 
Enjoy the journey that Peter Lewry has so painstakingly recreated for you.
 

Lou Robin

Westlake Village, California

30 August 2001