First introduced to him by Gordon Terry in 1957, the pills — amphetamines with the trade names of Dexamyl, Benzedrine, and Dexedrine — were often used on tour to help musicians endure the endless hours of driving through the night to get from show to show. “You know, I think some of these promoters would get a map of North America and just throw darts, and wherever the dart hits, that’s where you’re gonna go next. With a thousand miles between concerts,” Cash once mused.23
Even Johnny Western, who largely abstained from drugs and alcohol, had to admit that the use of amphetamines had likely saved their lives more than once by preventing drivers from falling asleep at the wheel. Johnny discovered they had another use — they electrified his performances and eliminated his shyness onstage. However, the drying affects of amphetamines could also wreak havoc on his voice. And as much as they pumped him up, they began to twist his personality. As he began to consume more, he would be awake all night, pacing and nervous or brooding and moody. He would have deep, insightful conversations in which he was very much lucid and present, but would then forget them the following day. At times it was like there were two people inhabiting his body.24
To cope with the stress of Horton’s death, Cash had begun to turn more and more to pep pills, though the truth was that it was these pills that caused him to act strangely about Horton’s death, not the other way around. Whatever the case, the drugs were more than likely the culprit that had caused Johnny’s laryngitis, rather than the venison Saul had joked about.
If Saul was aware of the pills at this point, it wasn’t a primary concern. For now, foremost in his strategy was the need to convince the officials at Columbia that Johnny was worth further investment. Just prior to Saul’s departure, Cash jotted off a letter to advise him about who to look out for — namely, people who had been kind to him: Debbie Ishlon, head of public relations, Dave Kapralik, Peter Freund, Bill Gallagher, and Columbia president Goddard Lieberson, whom Cash referred to as “The Great White Father.” If there were any problems, Cash added, he could be contacted on the road care of “the leading motel” in Eureka, California. With that out of the way, Cash added that though he was feeling a lot better, the smog in Encino was burning all of their eyes out. “Can’t wait to get into the new place, and out of it,” Cash signed off.25
It was a short trip to the Columbia offices, and upon his return Saul excitedly filled Cash in on what had transpired. “Just returned from New York last night; met Gallagher, Kapralik and many others. They erroneously thought I was your manager, and although I emphasized that I’m not, they all appeared to be happy about the recent change and felt that I might be an influence for the good. I only hope that they are right,” Saul wrote on June 23. “Bill Gallagher tells me that you wrote a song especially for him, and he was as pleased as punch about it. Kapralik is now the main cog under Lieberson.”
He had pressed the men on the importance of solid promotional materials to back up some of Cash’s upcoming U.S. performances and then engaged them in a discussion about various details of publicity, including a plan to increase the frequency with which his singles were played in jukeboxes. This in particular was significant, as Saul’s own first exposure to Cash had come via jukebox.
“They all think you’re great, and send their best regards,” Saul concluded. “I can’t get over how prompt you are in replying, and the fact that you are pounding out letters left and right. I mentioned this in New York and they think you have been reborn. All kidding aside, I do appreciate the business-like way you’ve attended to my requests. Keep up the good work; it’s bound to be worthwhile.”
He thought for a moment, and then included a postscript: “Still don’t know what the hell ‘dry-gulched’ means!”
Things had gone even better than expected at Columbia, and though Saul’s inexperience had made him nervous, the brass there had treated him with respect, even going so far as to express how pleased they were that Cash appeared to be in solid hands.
Following Carnall’s departure, however, Cash’s management situation had in fact gone from bad to worse. Though Carnall was still booking some dates, in the absence of his other duties, Cash had decided to manage himself. Upon their return home from Canada in the spring, Johnny Western had walked to Cash’s Los Angeles office to find him answering the phone and booking his own shows. Knowing Cash was never much of a businessman, even at the best of times, Western decided it had gone far enough. In the months leading up to Stew’s firing, Western had been gunning for Johnny to go with Saul, and told Johnny the promoter had already offered him more management on the road than he was paying Stew Carnall or Bob Neal to do.
“I’m seeing stuff — the t’s are crossed, the i’s are dotted, all the ducks are in a row,” Western said. “And he’s just booking your shows — he’s not managing you and he’s not picking up 15 or 20 percent. This is incredible. You need to either get Saul or get someone exactly like him.”
However, Cash had ignored Western’s advice and was now facing disaster. Even Carnall had been better than no manager at all. If Cash wouldn’t approach Saul, perhaps Saul would step in of his own accord. Desperate, Western sat down and composed a letter.26
July 1, 1961
Dear Saul,
Many thanks for your nice letter of June 16.
I have meant to bundle up some things and send them on to you for some weeks now and have either been busy or have done the typically American thing and “put it off until tomorrow.” The package of records enclosed are releases of mine that I wanted you to have for your personal record collection. I’ll have another for you before you return from the Orient as my new record of “Paladin” will he released very shortly.
Enclosed also are the photos and bios for the next tour. I’m really looking forward to working with you again, Saul. I hope on this next trip that you can reach some sort of management thing with Johnny as he is wandering in a fog, so to speak, now.
He is trying to keep his business affairs together and is also booking himself, neither of which is even a little bit successful. He is not a good businessman nor can he, or should he, be on the phone when the bookers call for a Cash show. He is in serious need of expert advice on what to record and what to release, Saul, and if ever there was a big star on the brink of disaster, it’s Johnny right now unless he has some qualified help immediately. He has a new publicity outfit that is doing great things for him and doesn’t have so much as a liaison man between himself and this office. I personally feel, Saul, that when you return from this trip that you should lay your cards on the table with John and at least offer a management deal as whether he takes it or not, he needs you.
I may have stepped out of line where Johnny is concerned in the above paragraph, however I feel that it is in his very best interest that I made mention of this need. You’ll have to take it from there.
Till I see you again then, I remain
Gratefully, your friend,
Johnny Western.27
It was just the catalyst Saul needed, and only confirmed the impression that he was on the right track. The same day, Cash responded to an idea Saul had passed by him. Always mulling over what new directions he could take Cash, Saul had a vision of broadening the show in a more established sense. Cash often travelled with Johnny Western and Gordon Terry, and had shared the bill with other star performers like Merle Travis, but Saul wanted something bigger — a sort of travelling country extravaganza. Most important, he wanted a woman up front with Johnny to add chemistry. The perfect time to launch this would be on their eastern Canada tour, and the most likely