Johnny Cash Diagnosed With Parkinson's

Johnny Cash announced Tuesday that he has developed Parkinson's disease, according to Heidi Robinson, Cash's spokeswoman at American Recordings.

The disease attacks the nervous system and is extremely difficult to contain. Though Cash was able to perform recent concert dates in support of his latest release, Unchained, he will opt out of his upcoming book signing tour for Cash: The Autobiography to deal with the illness. Cash's upcoming tour dates have been indefinitely postponed.

Cash's manager Lou Robin states, "Johnny feels confident that once the Parkinson's is medically stabilized, he can resume his normal work schedule." Parkinson's is the same disease that has plagued Muhammad Ali and Katherine Hepburn.

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Song Stories

“Oh Sherrie”

Steve Perry | 1984

Steve Perry's girlfriend Sherrie Swafford was actually in the studio when Perry began writing this song--his lone Top Ten hit as a solo act--with two co-writers. The trio began at midnight one night with just "Oh, Sherrie!" and "hold on, hold on." Three hours later, they had a complete song. Swafford, however, had to wait until the next day to hear it. "Sherrie actually got tired and went to bed," Perry said. She also appeared in the video, but their relationship did not hold on for long.

More Song Stories entries »

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