Hello, I'm Rev. Cash

By Rebecca Winters

Fans of the Man in Black know he was also a man of faith: JOHNNY CASH recorded gospel tunes and hung out with the Rev. Billy Graham. But a new book reveals that the country crooner was even more devout than his public knew. Cash was ordained a minister in 1977, according to The Man Called Cash by Steve Turner, due next month. Disenchanted with organized churches, Cash, pictured here being baptized in the river Jordan in 1979, studied theology so that he could conduct services, weddings and baptisms for friends. In the book, a professor who graded Cash's work describes him as an A student. "I was amazed at his grasp of spiritual truth," he says. Come on--everyone knew Johnny was a righteous dude.