Glastonbury’s Michael Eavis pays tribute to Johnny Cash on 10th anniversary of death

Glastonbury organiser Michael Eavis has looked back on Johnny Cash‘s 1994 appearance at the festival as one of his ‘best ever bookings’ on the 10th anniversary of the rock n roll pioneer’s death.

Cash’s celebrated performance in 1994 is credited with sparking a new chapter in his career, and also went a long way in popularising Glastonbury’s Sunday afternoon ‘Legends’ slot which is now a regular highlight of the event.

“I booked Johnny Cash to play at Glastonbury in 1994,” Eavis has told NME. “He was spellbinding, bloody brilliant. That was one of my best bookings of all time. This was when Johnny wasn’t nearly as fashionable as he was after ‘Hurt’. Some of the youngsters thought I’d gone crazy, as they believed I should be booking new stuff all the time.”

“They thought he was just a daft old country singer. But he was so good. I can’t choose one song as my favourite, I’d have a shortlist of 100.”

Post-1994, Johnny Cash pursued his successful American series and enjoyed consistent acclaim until his death in September 2003.