Johnny Cash To Become First Musician With Statue at American Capitol

The unveiling ceremony is set for September 24.

AP/Mike Pesoli
Artist Kevin Kresse's sculpture of Johnny Cash will be unveiled at the U.S. Capitol as part of the Statuary Hall collection. AP/Mike Pesoli

Country legend Johnny Cash is set to become the first musician to receive a statue at the American Capitol, with an unveiling ceremony scheduled for late September at the Capitol’s Emancipation Hall.

Each American state receives two statues in the hall and Cash is set to represent Arkansas, his home state. The other Arkansas statue is civil rights activist Daisy Bates.

Punchbowl News’s Jake Sherman obtained a letter signed by congressional leadership, announcing that the ceremony would take place on September 24.

The move to honor Cash began in 2019 when the Arkansas state legislature passed a bill to replace the state’s existing statues with depictions of Cash and Bates.

The statue is being made by sculptor Kevin Kresse, who told NPR in May that the bronze statue of Cash will be eight feet tall and depict him with a Bible and a guitar. Although Cash died in 2002, his music continues as a mainstay in the country genre.


The New York Sun

© 2024 The New York Sun Company, LLC. All rights reserved.

Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. The material on this site is protected by copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used.

The New York Sun

Sign in or  Create a free account

or
By continuing you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use