Pardon Johnny Cash – Flower Pickin' Festival

Executive Director Robbie Ward speaks to the West Point Rotary Club about the Johnny Cash Flower Pickin Festival. Ward shows the group the Martin Guitar Company’s black D-35 model guitar designed to honor The Man in Black.

Ward told the group about a travel writer for the Chicago Sun Times writing a story about the festival that will run in the paper’s August 29 issue.

The Associated Press will run a national travel story about the festival on its national wire service in early September.

Also, music magazine PASTE will have a piece about the November 2-4, 2007, festival in its October issue.

The Starkville Board of Aldermen authorized on Tuesday Municipal Court Judge William Eshee to review the city’s symbolic, posthumous pardon for Johnny Cash.

Although Judge Eshee actually attended Cash’s May 10, 1965, concert at Mississippi State University that occurred hours before the early morning of May 11 when Cash was arrested, he vowed to use prudence and apply the intent of the law when evaluating the pardon.

We all look forward to seeing you in Starkville, Mississippi, on November 2-4, 2007, for the Johnny Cash Flower Pickin’ Festival. Along with the pardon, we’ll have plenty of music in the same spirit as Johnny’s, along with many other Cash-related events.

Warm regards from Starkville,

Robbie Ward

Executive Director

Johnny Cash Flower Pickin’ Festival

pardonjohnnycash@gmail.com

The Martin Guitar Company has donated its Black D-35 Johnny Cash model guitar signed by John Carter Cash to the Starkville’s Johnny Cash Flower Pickin’ Festival’s charity auction on November 2. The festival’s headlining musician will also sign the guitar.

While Martin produced the guitar as a tribute to The Man in Black, the Johnny Cash Flower Pickin’ Festival will auction the instrument to carry on his spirit of compassion and charity. All funds from the charity auction will go toward the Starkville Boys and Girls Club and the Oktibbeha County Heritage Museum.

Get ready for Nov. 2-4 in Starkville, Mississippi. We’re getting ready for you.