The first annual Johnny Cash Flower Pickin’ Festival will take place during the first week of November and will mark the official pardon of Johnny Cash for a 1965 charge of public drunkeness.The festival is the only event of its kind to be officially endorsed by the Johnny Cash estate.
Executive director of the festival Robbie Ward said the event is about celebrating Cash’s life and the role Starkville played in his path to redemption.
“Johnny Cash has a very colorful history with Mississippi State University and Starkville,” Ward said. “Maybe it’s not the best history, but some lessons you learn in life are from the mistakes you’ve made.”
On May 11, 1965, Johnny Cash performed on the MSU campus at the animal husbandry building and later at the Pi Kappa Alpha house. He was supposed to stay the night at the Starkville Motel with future wife June Carter.
“Around 5 a.m. at the corner of Highway 182 and Jackson Street, Cash was picked up by police for picking flowers,” he said. “He had real problems with drugs and alcohol back then and he was probably in that state of mind.” Cash spent the rest of the night berating Starkville police officers from inside of his cell. He left the next morning after paying a $15 fine.
Cash later wrote the song “Starkville City Jail” and performed it at San Quentin State Prison on Feb. 24, 1969.
Cash played at MSU again in 1970 and gave many officers involved with his arrest front row tickets to the performance.
The festival will begin Nov. 2 at the MSU amphitheatre with a showing of the Cash bio-epic, “Walk the Line.”
Bands will also perform before and after the movie.
A charity auction at the Pi Kappa Alpha house will follow the amphitheatre festivities.
A black Martin guitar signed by Cash’s son, John Carter-Cash will be auctioned off. The guitar was donated to the festival and will include a minimum starting bid.
The festivities will continue Saturday at the Starkville Public Library where Cash’s former bandmate and manager Marshall Grant will speak about the life of his longtime friend.
Next, the festival will move to the actual site where Cash was arrested. A reverend from the First Methodist Church in Starkville will give a sermon on redemption, which will be followed by Cash’s symbolic pardon.
Officials from the city of Starkville, Oktibbeha County, the state of Mississippi are expected to attend the ceremony. Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour is also scheduled to be in attendance.
Members of Cash’s family will also be in attendance.
The festival will resume in downtown Starkville, where bluegrass, country and country rock musicians will perform from 2 to 10 p.m.
Grand Ole Opry member and husband to Cash’s daughter Marty Stewart will headline the performances.
Saturday’s festivities will end with a performance of “Starkville City Jail.”
The festival will come to a close on Sunday with a church service at the MSU amphitheatre.
The festival is free to attend but patrons are encouraged to make a $10 donation.
T-shirts for the festival are also on sale at the downtown Bookmart, City Bagel, and the festival’s Web site, www.pardonjohnnycash.com.
All proceeds from the festival will go to the Boys and Girls Club of Starkville and the Oktibbeha County Heritage Museum.
Ward said Johnny Cash fans from as far as England and Germany have contacted him about the festival.
“Elvis has Graceland and Tupelo. Johnny Cash has strong ties to Starkville and I anticipate this festival becoming an international destination for Johnny Cash fans,” he said.