John Carter Cash recalls working with the late Loretta Lynn: ‘It was like having my mother back in the studio’
While he was working as a songwriter in Nashville with record contract at this time, Cash was also writing tunes with legendary country singer Loretta Lynn.
Cash was working with one of Lynn’s daughters, Trisha Yearwood, and a number of other artists when a song he wrote, “Just Walk on By” was heard by Lynn, who immediately called Cash.
“I’ve always had a song in me,” says Cash. “I’ve always wanted to have my own song and I’ve had my own song. I always had a song in me from when I was a kid.”
In the early 1990s, Cash’s song “A Thousand Miles” was recorded by Lynn — who had been in the studio with him recording material at his own studio. The song was produced by Cash and Lynn, and released on Lynn’s 1996 debut album, Let It All Hang Out, which sold more than two million copies worldwide.
Lynn had written “A Thousand Miles” while she was still on tour in Europe with Cash, but she decided to keep the song a secret. The song appeared on the album, but Lynn didn’t like it; instead, she and Cash decided to re-record the song and re-record it again.
Cash said Lynn offered him a new demo to sing, and he was initially reluctant to sing it — in fact, he was the only singer Cash knew to record.
“I thought, ‘Well I’m not going to do this song — I’m not going to change my song.’ So I said, and I’ve said for years, that I’m not a singer, I’m a songwriter,” Cash said. “And she said, ‘Well, it’s a little different from anything you’ve done before. I’ll call you on Tuesday.’ And that’s how far she was willing to take it.”
Cash recalled the first time he sang along with Lynn
