On Dec. 8, 1996, Johnny Cash joined Edward Albee, Benny Carter, Jack Lemmon and Maria Tallchief as that year’s Kennedy Center honorees.
During Cash’s portion of the program, his daughter Rosanne Cash joined Kris Kristofferson, Lyle Lovett and Emmylou Harris for a medley of hits that left the Man in Black holding back tears.
Kristofferson began the tribute with one of his own high points as a songwriter, “Sunday Morning Coming Down.” Lovett’s rendition of “Folsom Prison Blues” followed, as did a version of “Ring of Fire” by Harris. That was all as great as you might expect, but the evening’s most memorable moment was yet to come.
