Requesting Information About Johnny Cash: Activism & Peter LaFarge

[JailBush]

One of my favorite albums is Johnny Cash's "Bitter Tears." It's unlike anything else Cash ever recorded and is very unique in general. Some of the songs on this album are beautiful; very haunting.

I did a little research on this album and put an article online at
http://www.geosymbols.org/world/na/us/flag/2/2/index.php (This website is in transition, so some of the images and links may not work.) Of special interest were reports that 1) Bitter Tears was blacklisted by some radio stations, and 2) Peter LaFarge (who wrote most of the songs on the album) was targeted by the FBI.

I just wondered if anyone might have information they could share with me. My personal opinion, though I hate to believe it, is that Johnny Cash probably wasn't a true activist. It appears to me that he spoke up for the underdog only to boost his image. I base that observation partly on the relative lack of material relating to his activism and also on a TV appearance where Cash displayed what I thought was a shocking obsession with his personal wealth and possessions.

But I could be wrong. Regardless of where Cash stood, the songs on the album Bitter Tears are extraordinary, and I suspect there's a very interesting story behind Peter LaFarge - if I could just track it down. Any tips?