Billy Bob Thornton Remembers The Time He Recorded A Duet With Johnny Cash, “It Was Like God Walked In The Room”

Billy Bob Thornton Remembers The Time He Worked With Johnny Cash

Right now, Academy Award-winning actor and musician Billy Bob Thornton is starring in Taylor Sheridan’s newest series Landman. But with years of experience in the entertainment industry, he has had many other incredible opportunities, too.

One of the most memorable is the time he had the privilege of working with country music legend Johnny Cash.

In a recent interview with The Guardian, Thornton was asked about his time working with the “Man In Black” singer during a segment featuring fan-submitted questions.

“I never got over being nervous around Johnny Cash because it was like God walked in the room,” Thornton said. “I stayed at his house a couple of times, and I did not want to get caught in my drawers looking in his refrigerator. So I just stayed in my room all night long. But he was very kind to me.”

During their time together, Cash recorded a duet of his 1958 song “I Still Miss Someone” with the Boxmasters singer. 

“We did a duet together of one of his songs, ‘I Still Miss Someone,’ that I’ve never put out,” Thornton revealed. “Cash said to me, ‘What’s your idea, son?’ And I said, ‘Well, I thought we’d do the first verse and bridge and then you could do your recitation.’ This was at a point where Johnny was in a little more ill health. And I said, ‘Then you do the recitation and then we’ll come back and do the last verse and bridge.'”

Thornton then shared Cash’s response to his ideas about how they should record the song. While Cash supported the suggestions, he, of course, added his own professional touch.

“He said, ‘Yeah, that sounds good to me. And then he said, ‘I might even have an idea or two myself. After all, I wrote the f***ing thing.’ And I was like, ‘Yes, sir, sorry.'”

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The two developed a close friendship over the years, with Cash becoming a mentor figure to Thornton. He shared that after their collaboration, Cash even left behind a gift for him.

“He wrote a story about that day on four pieces of notebook paper,” the Sling Blade actor said. “It was partly truth, partly fiction. And on the last page are three autographs by him: ‘John R. Cash,’ ‘Johnny Cash,’ ‘John Cash.'”

Thornton continued, “And I said, ‘John, why did you write three autographs on that paper?’ He says, ‘Son, if you ever get broke, cut those into three pieces and you’ll be all right.'”

Hopefully, one day we’ll get to hear the lost recording of Billy Bob Thornton and Johnny Cash!