When I went down to Nashville one winter week late last century to produce Johnny Cash for STP, it never occurred to me that I might meet Mother Maybelle Carter, originator of Country Music’s famous Carter Family guitar-strumming style. Even further back in my mind was the possibility I might actually–but I’m getting ahead of myself.

After making notes every day, one day at a time, in my daybook to remember Johnny Cash’s birthday, it went by yesterday without a post from me. Shit. I’d decided to commemorate him and some time I spent with him in 1978 writing a jingle with a pic of a “One Piece at a Time” postcard and one of the many shirts, T and sweats, he gave me, most of which I then gave away to friends and fellow musicians.

In hindsight, I can see where being able say you wrote a song with Johnny Cash, even if it was for STP motor oil and additives, would look cool on your resume, if not on your tombstone. But it is interesting that it did take hindsight plus the prodding of friends before I did see it, which is a good thing, because if I’d seen it that way when it went down, I might have panicked and maybe choked. Here was the situation, at least as I remember it.