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Rosanne Cash is one of America's pre-eminent singers and songwriters. Over the
past thirty years she has recorded fourteen albums, and has had 11 #1 singles. In that
time she has navigated her own path between country and rock, roots and pop, writing
songs that are finely-wrought vignettes, both highly personal and universally appealing.
Cash is the keeper of an extraordinary family legacy. She was born in Memphis, Tennessee on May 24, 1955, the eldest child of Johnny Cash and his first wife, Vivian Liberto. After her parents separated she was raised by her mother in Los Angeles. Her father went on to marry singer June Carter, who also had an influence on young Rosanne's musical path.
After high school, Cash joined her father and stepmother's road show, working her way up from laundry duty to backup singer to soloist. before starting a full-time career in music, she studied drama at Nashville's Vanderbilt University and at the Lee Strasberg Institute in Los Angeles.
Rosanne Cash's recordings included Right or Wrong, Seven Year Ache, Rhythm and Romance, King's Record Shop, Interiors, The Wheel, 10 Song Demo, Rules of Travel, and Black Cadillac.
Her recent album, The List (EMI) was released in the fall of 2009. The songs on it were selected from a list of 100 great American songs that her father gave her when she was 18 years old. The album features a duet with Bruce Springsteen and vocal contributions by Elvis Costello, Jeff Tweedy (Wilco) and Rufus Wainwright, and was nominated for two Grammy awards. The List received the Americana Music Association’s album of the year award in 2010.
Her latest release is The Essential Rosanne Cash (Sony), a compilation that spans 30 years with songs personally curated by Rosanne.
Cash has also made her mark as a writer. She published a collection of short stories called
"Bodies of Water" in 1995 and a children's book: "Penelope Jane: A Fairy's Tale" in 2000. Her essays and fiction have appeared in various collections and publications, including The New York Times, Rolling Stone, Time Magazine, The Oxford American, and New York Magazine. Her most recent book is Composed: A Memoir, published by Viking in 2010. Over the course of her career, whether in music or on the printed page, Cash has articulated the most heartbreaking emotional realities: betrayal, loss, misunderstanding, and isolation. But, in the family tradition, she always emerges with a firm belief in the limitless possibilities of personal redemption.
Rosanne lives in New York City with her husband, producer and guitarist John Leventhal. She is the mother of 5 children.
Critical Praise for The List
"These 12 covers are—by definition and necessity—timeless, and Cash's performances give them room to breathe and shine.”
—NPR MUSIC
“…an object lesson in inheritance… Ms. Cash has a voice both dark and sweet, with a gentle but reliable vibrato, and she knows how to convey the quiet sting of heartache.”
—THE NEW YORK TIMES
“The disc showcases some of the best singing in Cash’s career.”
—ASSOCIATED PRESS
“How can one not get excited to hear Cash wrap that gorgeous, throaty alto around elite, time-tested material handpicked by the legendary Man in Black?”
—USA TODAY
“…sublime renderings of tunes her dad considered essential American gems. Cash not only infuses love into her delivery on the collection but also proves herself a supreme song stylist.”
—BILLBOARD
“Long revered as a master songwriter, Rosanne is equally talented at reinterpretation, singing with such close-to-the-bone sincerity that you can’t help but think: like father, like daughter.”
—ELLE
“This is very much Cash’s show… ‘The List’ is a testament to both Cash Jr.’s vocal talents and Cash Sr.’s catholic taste.”
—ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY
“Cash makes a loving tribute that honors tradition and gives these tunes her own spin.”
—PEOPLE MAGAZINE
“She brings the wistful mood that’s infused much of her own writing to the material… spare yet elegant.”
—LOS ANGELES TIMES
“Although she’s a gifted songwriter, ‘The List’ is Cash’s first record of covers, and it’s exquisite.”
—SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE
“At it's core, country music is about life as it's lived, not Hallmarked from complacency. In reaching into her past, Cash troubles the water and makes peace with who she is at her genetic core. To service it so faithfully is a marvel; to hear The List is a wonder.'” — AMERICAN SONGWRITER