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• Plugging up problems

• Lodi residents help Iowa town battle floodwaters

• Final career flight

• Truly a piece of Lodi's gold

• Tattoos embraced by Tokay students, staff

• Regional Roundup

• Lodi police conduct gang sweep in crime-prone neighborhood

November 2nd, 2009

• Deputies name suspect in fatal Acampo shooting

November 7th, 2009

• Lodi High graduate was at Fort Hood

• Lining up for flu shots in Lodi

• Tour packs buses as birdwatchers admire Sandhill cranes

• City of Lodi staff looking into possibility of limiting number of taco trucks

• Daytime thieves targeting Lodi homes

• Lodi High School rally featured on 'Good Day Sacramento'

• Out of control

• Homicide suspect Anthony Hubbard arraigned

• Regional Roundup

• New Lodi Memorial rule to combat spread of H1N1: Visitors must be older than 16

November 6th, 2009

• Short sales make up nearly half of Lodi market

• Regional Roundup

• Lodi man accused of smuggling drugs, weapons for inmates at state prison

• 'I-5 Strangler' sentenced to 6 terms of life

• Jury convicts Acampo man of torture, assault of his girlfriend

• Young girl is 200,000th person to assemble AIDS, HIV care kit

• Woman in wheelchair struck by car

November 5th, 2009

• A lower Lodi Lake

• Streetside scarecrows

• San Joaquin County considers moratorium on new Williamson Act contracts

• Speakers address Lodi Unified School District budget shortfalls, plea to keep programs

• Armed robbers still targeting Lodi shops

• Regional Roundup

• California voters have final say over $11 billion water bond

• Weekend bus service to continue until Lodi City Council makes decision

• Paul Tebbel shines spotlight on sandhill cranes

• Your complete guide to Sandhill Crane Festival

• David Diskin is first to give an invocation under new city of Lodi policy

• Man wanted in Acampo homicide gives up to San Joaquin County Sheriff's detectives

November 4th, 2009

• Candle fire

• Rep. Jerry McNerney sets telephone town hall for Thursday

• Jason Behrmann is unanimously named Galt's city manager

• Regional Roundup

• Galt City Council argues over ordinance hiring residents

• San Joaquin County sues state over prison hospital planned for Stockton

• Big win for Allen Baroni in reclamation election

• California sends Democratic loyalist John Garamendi to Congress

• Bicycling father raising awareness of teen suicide

• Lodi City Council weighs raising fares to restore some bus service

November 3rd, 2009

• 500 attend service for Kyle Coumas

• Correction

• Galt considers ordinance that would require city contractors to hire locally

• Regional Roundup

• Have you seen a missing guide dog puppy in Lodi?

• Galt man dies after weekend Highway 12 crash

• Jason Behrmann is top candidate for Galt city manager

• Deputies name suspect in fatal Acampo shooting

• Clarification

November 2nd, 2009

• Downtown Lodi trick or treat

• Public Meetings

• Correction

• Kyle Coumas funeral today

• 27-year-old man shot to death Saturday night in front of Acampo home

• Regional Roundup

• Group investigates reports of haunting

• Sandhill Cranes Festival comes to Lodi next weekend

• Lamborghini lovers gather for show, fine wine, luncheon in Woodbridge

• Lodi's 'Biggest Loser' Christy Richesin runs 5K Halloween race

The following stories have received the most reader comments during the last 7 days.

• Bible is entwined with American civic life (135)
• I predict: A conservative tide will rise in 2010 (73)
• David Diskin is first to give an invocation under new city of Lodi policy (70)
• The Treaty of Tripoli hoax (60)
• Universal health care solves big problems (54)
• Here's what my father knew about the assassination of JFK (35)
• Stuck in neutral? Hardly! (35)
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• City of Lodi staff looking into possibility of limiting number of taco trucks (24)
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In the spirit of Johnny Cash

Lodi band driven by life-long love of the man in black

In 1992, when Sinead O'Connor's shaved head and angry expressions were fashion statements, when New Kids on the Block was the object of every 14-year-old girl's fantasy and before the fraud of Milli Vanilli was revealed, a freshman high school student went into a Sam Goody music store and bought a tape of an artist he had never heard.

It would change his life forever.

The teenager removed the clear cellophane from the case and listened to the first song. It was Johnny Cash's, "Don't Take Your Gun Into Town."

Cash's big, bassy voice, the guitar rhythm that rang boom-chica-boom, drew him in.

Sixteen years later, James Garner, who now lives in Galt, remembers that first song.

"It was so stark and different and I'd never heard anything like it before," Garner said.

And that's how it all started.

Guitar lessons from Cash

After years of admiring and studying all things Johnny Cash, Garner became the lead singer of what is now the Lodi-based band, Cash Tribute featuring James Garner.

With members from Lodi, Galt, Folsom and Vacaville, Cash Tribute plays Johnny Cash songs with what Garner calls "respect and conviction."

Garner isn't a Johnny Cash impersonator, nor are his band members Tennessee Three wannabes. During their shows, they tell stories of how the original band came to be, and of what Johnny Cash was like when he wasn't behind the microphone.

Since he first discovered Johnny Cash, James Garner has been dedicated to singing Cash's original songs. (Courtesy photo)

Following in the image of how most fans remember Cash, Garner becomes a Cash replica in black boots, slacks, vest and white or black shirt. Like Cash himself, Garner's eyes are dark, deep and sometimes serious.

Garner holds his tan guitar the same way Cash did. He cocks his head back in that way Cash was known to do. He knows exactly how to get that Johnny Cash sound. But what else would you expect from someone who learned everything he knows from the original Johnny Cash — including how to play the guitar?

At 14, Garner continually watched VHS tapes of Johnny Cash performances. Garner sat in front of his parent's TV with his guitar and mimicked all of Cash's finger positions and pluck or strum of the strings.

"Johnny Cash taught me to play. He was my own personal tutor," Garner said.

A band rises

It was while performing Johnny Cash songs during karaoke nights at O'Reilly's Pub in Lodi that Garner was spotted by Lodi musician Steve Hutton. One night, Garner walked in with his guitar and Hutton said he "brought the house down."

Hutton had wanted to produce a band. After seeing Garner perform, Hutton knew he was watching part of his future group. Soon, Denny Colleret and Jeff Jones joined, and the Cash Tribute Featuring James Garner was formed.

The band is now well-known, performing live at theaters, fairs, festivals and private parties. Though they don't play at bars, Cash Tribute recently returned to O'Reilly's, where they performed for the Irish pub's anniversary. After a summer line-up of performances in Lake Tahoe, at the Imagination Theater in Placerville and Tracy, Cash Tribute featuring James Garner will perform at the Grape Festival in September.

"It's more than a concert, it's a show," Hutton said.

The happy-go-lucky guy

The goal of the band is to do more than perform. They want to educate people about the real Johnny Cash — the man whose life wasn't fully portrayed in the recent film, "Walk the Line." Cash wasn't always the man with a glaring look on his face.

"Cash was really a big, old jolly, happy-go-lucky guy, not the guy who was always sneering," said Garner, speaking of Cash as the man who, at the end of his career, invited people to the front of the stage to dedicate their lives to Jesus Christ.

One of the misconceptions Garner addresses during their tribute shows is about Cash's time in jail, or lack thereof. He was indelibly connected to prison because of his songs, including "Folsom Prison Blues," the trademark scar on his face and because he often performed for prisoners.

However, Cash only saw the inside of a cell a few times.

"(When) he was drunk or stoned or both, they picked him up and let him sleep it off for the night," Garner said simply.

"Ican sing just like you"

The height of Cash's career — the years that took place after he got off drugs and married June Carter Cash — are the decades the tribute band celebrates. It was in those later years that Garner says Cash's career was born again. Not only did he get his own TV show, but Cash sold out bigger shows than popular musicians at the same time.

It was at that point of Cash's career that a young Garner, who then lived in Fresno, met his idol. Cash was scheduled to sing at Fresno's Tower Theater, and Garner's mom had tickets.

"I felt like that was the greatest day of my life," Garner said.

After the concert, Garner and his mother sprinted to the back of the theater, where Cash was boarding his bus.

"'My son just wants to meet him,"' Garner's mother told the security guard.

Garner remembers it clearly. He stood there, nervous and excited.

Cash looked at Garner and said: "'Nice to meet you boy."

Garner laughs as he talk about meeting Cash. "In a high pitched Mickey Mouse voice, I said, 'I'm your biggest fan,' and then I said, 'I can sing just like you,' my voice cracking."

"'I'm sure you can,'" is how he replied. The man in black smiled, turned and walked onto his bus.

For more information on Cash Tribute featuring James Garner, visit http://www.CashTribute.net.