40th Anniversary Concert Set for Folsom State Prison

40th Anniversary Concert Set for Folsom State Prison

Cash Drummer WS Holland to Lead Band in Free Concert for Folsom Inmates

HOLLYWOOD, Calif., Jan. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- On January 13, 2008, forty years to the day, longtime Johnny Cash drummer, WS "Fluke" Holland will lead his band back to Folsom State Prison in Northern California to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the recording of "Johnny Cash At Folsom Prison," widely considered to be the best live record ever made.

Johnny Cash's performance on January 13, 1968, was a seminal moment in music and pop culture history. Released by Columbia records in the summer of 1968, "Johnny Cash At Folsom Prison" made a 90-week assault on the country music charts, peaking at Number 1 for three weeks in July and August. The story was the same on the pop charts, where the album spent an incredible 122 weeks in the Top 200.

The "40th Anniversary of 'Johnny Cash At Folsom Prison'" is replete with history and coincidence. The free concert will feature several members of Cash's original group. Most notable is drummer WS "Fluke" Holland. A special guest vocalist will be introduced at the show!

Mr. Holland, who joined Cash in 1960, kept the beat for the 1968 concert at Folsom. Mr. Holland worked behind Cash for nearly 40 years.

"I'm just tickled pink about goin' back to Folsom after all these years and doin' it all over again," said Mr. Holland from his home in Jackson, Tennessee. "I think John would be tickled pink too," he added.

Coincidentally, Jonathan Holiff, son of the late Saul Holiff, the Canadian entrepreneur who managed Cash from 1960 to 1973, will produce the 40th anniversary event. "My father played an important role in the original show. This anniversary celebration was a happy accident. I'm just honored to be part of it," said Holiff.

The event is a labor of love for all concerned. Not a single dollar of taxpayer money is being used to mount the show. A dozen vendors are underwriting most of the production costs; most notably Prison Fellowship Ministries, the world's largest outreach to prisoners, ex-prisoners, and their families.

According to PFM's Joe Avila, "We see the Johnny Cash story as a story of redemption. Johnny Cash overcame great obstacles and devoted much of his life to working for his fellow man. And he was one of this country's strongest advocates for prison inmates."

The "40th Anniversary of 'Johnny Cash At Folsom Prison,'" will be filmed "live-to-tape," and "streamed" worldwide over the Internet at http://www.iclips.net/ on Sunday, January 13, 2008.

Twenty per cent of all net proceeds will be donated to four participating non-profit organizations, including the California Inmate Welfare Fund and VOCAL Foundation/Justice for Murder Victims.

For more information about the concert, contact Mary Langford at The Hollywood-Madison Group, (310) 956-1098.

A satellite media tour will be held on Monday, January 14th, between 6:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. [EST]. To book an interview, or to download B-roll, contact Alison Welz at MultiVu, (800) 653-5313 Ext 3.

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Source: The Hollywood-Madison Group

CONTACT: Mary Langford at The Hollywood-Madison Group, +1-310-956-1098,
info@Hollywood-Madison.com

Web site:

http://www.hollywood-madison.com/

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