Johnny Cash: Fife festival goes global in US online celebration of the Man In Black

The Edinburgh singer behind a festival which celebrated the Fife roots of music legend Johnny Cash has been invited to be part of a celebration of the Man in Black this weekend.

Dean Owens will take part in the Official Johnny Cash Heritage Festival to talk about the ‘Cash Back In Fife’ event he hosted in the Kingdom - one of the last gigs staged in Scotland before lockdown.

The weekend event was held at the Woodside Hotel in Aberdour and featured Ian Rankin, Rab Noakes and The Countess Of Fife, led by punk legend Fay Fife.

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It celebrated Cash’s ancestral links to Falkland, and the legacy of his music.

Now Dean has been invited to be part of this weekend’s heritage event which will be broadcast from Dyess in Arkansas.

The troubadour will also contribute some specially recorded songs.

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The weekend event will also see Johnny’s daughter, Roseanne, give a concert from the living room of his boyhood home - featuring a star-studded line-up.

American singers Johnny Cash and Andy Williams in Fife for a concert at Falkland Palace  in October 1981.American singers Johnny Cash and Andy Williams in Fife for a concert at Falkland Palace  in October 1981.
American singers Johnny Cash and Andy Williams in Fife for a concert at Falkland Palace in October 1981.

The annual event is organised by the Historic Dyess Colony, and staging it online opens it up to a global audience which will get to hear more about how the music legend traced his roots back to Fife.

The Man in Black was immensely proud of connections to the Kingdom, and was a regular visitor to Falkland following a chance discovery his family name was indelibly linked to the area and the neighbouring village of Strathmiglo.

He even played a special televised concert at Falkland Palace in 1981, bringing TV star Andy Williams with him.

Dean Owens at Cash Back In Fife with Ian Rankin and Rab Noakes (Pic: Marc Marnie)Dean Owens at Cash Back In Fife with Ian Rankin and Rab Noakes (Pic: Marc Marnie)
Dean Owens at Cash Back In Fife with Ian Rankin and Rab Noakes (Pic: Marc Marnie)

Dean, who recorded an album of Cash covers, worked with hotel owner John McTaggart to curate the festival in March 2020.

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The invite to be part of this weekend’s online event marks another step on the road back to normality for the musician after lockdown.

He has gigs booked in England before returning to Glasgow and Edinburgh for pre-Christmas gigs.

Dean’s next album, Sinner’s Shrine, recorded in Tucson just before lockdown, will finally be released in February.

Cash Back In Fife, Woodside Hotel, Aberdour  - Dean Owens on stage (Pic: Cath Ruane)Cash Back In Fife, Woodside Hotel, Aberdour  - Dean Owens on stage (Pic: Cath Ruane)
Cash Back In Fife, Woodside Hotel, Aberdour - Dean Owens on stage (Pic: Cath Ruane)

A triple EP, The Desert Trilogy, was released as a prelude.

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