Johnny Cash Tribute Band plays in Steadman Theater

By Amanda Rutledge, Column Editor

Terry Lee Goffee and the World’s Premier Johnny Cash Tribute Band performed in Steadman Theatre at Mansfield University on February 13, 2020.

The performance began with a mix of popular Johnny Cash songs, including “Cry, Cry, Cry” and “Hey Porter.” This blend was successful in catching the attention of the audience from the moment the Goffee walked out on stage. Goffee played some of Johnny Cash’s more popular songs, including his first hit, “I Walk the Line,” followed by “Ring of Fire,” and “Ghost Riders in the Sky.”

Goffee did a phenomenal job of portraying the energy and liveliness of the original Man in Black as he sang song after song, addressing the audience in between each one to talk about parts of Johnny Cash’s life and the context of some of the songs. The variety of music kept the audience’s attention with everything from the fast and upbeat “Folsom Prison Blues” to the slower “Sunday Morning Coming Down.” Some songs told stories such as “One Piece at a Time,” “The Ballad of Ira Hayes,” “A Boy Named Sue,” and “Don’t Bring Your Guns to Town.” Others shed some light on parts of Johnny Cash’s life such as the song “Man in Black,” which was a nod to Cash’s nickname. The audience got to participate in the song “Daddy Sang Bass,” singing along with the line “Momma sang tenor.”

The concert finished with a song written as a tribute to the late Johnny Cash titled “The Man in Black is Gone,” followed by another medley of songs such as “Jackson,” “The Rebel-Johnny Yuma,” and the reappearance of “Folsom Prison Blues.” This concert was a wonderful performance of some of the best songs by Johnny Cash.