Sheryl Crow is bringing Johnny Cash back to radio airwaves on April 19 with a little editing ingenuity. Sheryl will release a re-booted version of her song, “Redemption Day,” in the form of a duet with the Man in Black.
After touring war-torn Bosnia with First Lady Hillary Clinton in 1996, Sheryl penned “Redemption Day” and included it on her self-titled album that same year. Johnny recorded the song shortly before he died 2003, and it was featured on his posthumously released 2010 album, American VI: Ain’t No Grave.
With the blessing of Johnny’s estate, Sheryl re-recorded “Redemption Day” and added Johnny’s vocals to the new arrangement for her upcoming album of collaborations.
“Johnny Cash recorded it [in 2003] and felt like it would be the cornerstone of his record,” says Sheryl. “He was adamant about knowing what every lyric meant and he really delivered the song in a way that felt like for him it would be the most important song on his record . . . but two months later he passed, so cut to now and I’m making a record of collaborations and I asked the family if they would give me their blessing in letting me use his vocal. I feel like the song has finally found its moment. I re-recorded it, rearranged it, and Johnny and I are both singing the song. I hope he would be proud of what we’ve done and feel like it has met its moment.”
The video for “Redemption Day,” directed by Shaun Silva, incorporates footage of Johnny next to scenes of a young child watching history unfold, in all of its tragedy and triumph.
“As a mom of two young kids,” says Sheryl, “I see that our kids watch what we do on their behalf and how we shape their future. They’re privy to everything visual, especially now, and there’s no way to shield your child from the roughness of reality. If we could see the world through a child’s eyes, we would make different decisions.”
Check back on April 19 for the new video.
