Johnny Cash fans from around the world are expected to participate in a fascinating part of the Cash story–his experience at the "Starkville City Jail" and his lifelong story of redemption. Johnny Cash was arrested in Starkville, Mississippi, on May 11, 1965, for public drunkeness following a performance at Mississippi State University. He wrote the song, “Starkville City Jail,” and performed it at his legendary San Quentin State Prison concert on Feb. 24, 1969. Cash played at MSU again in 1970 and gave many of the officers involved with his arrest front row tickets to the performance.

The Starkville community decided that it's time to formally recognize the depth and humanity of the Man in Black. As a result, the city of Starkville will issue a posthumous pardon to Cash. Kathy Cash Tittle, the second oldest of the four Cash daughters, will accept the pardon on her father's behalf during the pardoning ceremony on November 3rd. The pardon doesn’t suggest that anyone condoned Cash’s behavior. It symbolically recognizes Cash as an imperfect human who made mistakes but gained insight and wisdom by learning from his indiscretions. It’s not about Johnny Cash getting arrested; it’s about what his life symbolized to so many people — that no matter what happens in life, you can redeem yourself.

The festival will close with a Redemption Service on Sunday, November 4th at 10:00am, featuring performances by Kevin Max and Johnny Cash’s sister, Joanne Cash, singing gospel music that Johnny Cash enjoyed. The service will be held at Lee Hall Auditorium on the MSU campus, and is free to the public.

For more information on the Johnny Cash Flower Pickin’ Festival, visit the official website at www.pardonjohnnycash.com.

About Kevin Max:
As one-third of dcTalk, Kevin Max has sold over 8 million records worldwide, won four Grammy Awards, and had a Top 40 pop hit with “Just Between You and Me,” which also received significant airplay on VH1 and MTV. Max returns December 26th with his latest solo album, The Blood - A very personal project that allowed him to step back from his usual rock stylings in favor of a musical exploration of Gospel. This deliberate departure features high profile collaborations with an extraordinary cast, including Vince Gill, Amy Grant, American Idol finalist Chris Sligh, Joanne Cash, Erica Campbell of Mary Mary and a long-anticipated reunion of dc Talk (featuring Max, Michael Tait and TobyMac). For more information, visit www.kevinmax.com and www.myspace.com/kevinmaxtheblood.

About Joanne Cash:
With twenty-seven historic recordings under her belt, the acclaimed autobiography My Fears Are Gone, continuous concert appearances and lineage to one of music’s most famous families, Joanne Cash has countless tales to tell. But more than artistic accolades, her slew of collaborations with brother Johnny Cash and having spent several years working at the historic House of Cash hit making factory, the singer/songwriter extraordinaire is driven by a deeper sense of eternal purpose. With her husband Harry Yates, she founded Nashville's Cowboy Church, and earlier this year released her latest album, Gospel, which features three previously unreleased duets with her famous brother Johnny. For more information, visit www.joannecash.com and www.myspace.com/joannecash.