Ridley Academy - The night I met Johnny Cash.

This is kind of a crazy story.

Back when I was 15, my father brought us to Nashville. He was a cowboy at heart. and we went all over Tennessee. 

Coming from the the UK, The Social Vanir was VERY heavy, and coming the American city of Memphis, this was absolutely a different universe.

I'm used to a conversation with people that go like: "How do you do?" "I'm fine." when their house is burning down.

Nah, not in Memphis. People were REAL. The BLUES were real. 

So I'm playing in a bar in Nashville, on an old upright piano, and a big man walks up behind me. 

"Well hello there"

I have never loved being interrupted while playing. especially when drunk dudes jump in mid-song.

even though I gave him back a "hey." I really was not that into starting up a conversation

"Do you know what song you're playing?" He said.

"Yeah, I'm playing Johnny Cash." 

"That's good. Do you know who I am?"

I sat back thinking, yeah man, I know who you are. You're interrupting me, that's who.

but I settled with "No. I don't know who you are."

"Well my name is Johnny Cash"

I sat right up. It was him.

We got to talking and he was real nice, I learned a lot of amazing things from him.

One thing he said to me was that "everywhere I go, I hear people playing my song, and they get it all wrong. They always play with the wrong tone. 

the difference between me and them, is when I go on stage, I know I'm Johnny Cash, and they know they're not."

Then he said "But when I saw you playing, I had to question who was Johnny Cash."

He completely blew me away.

Click the video above to hear me play that very song, The Johnny Cash approved version of Folsom Prison.

And If you'd like to learn how to play like this, you can!

That's why I created the Ridley Academy.

Join my on my next free LIVE online masterclass.

Click the link below to see when I am LIVE next!