Press Releases

Washington, D.C.—September 24, 2024…Congressman Steve Womack (AR-3) participated in the unveiling ceremony for a statue depicting Arkansan country music legend Johnny Cash.

Congressman Womack’s remarks as prepared are below:

“Not lost on me is the fact that very few members of Congress have the privilege of presiding over something as unique and profound as a Statuary Collection dedication. I’m honored to be part of this historic event.

“Admittedly, I was a Johnny Cash fan since my childhood. Little known fact, I loved the song ‘A Boy Named Sue.’ I loved it so much that I memorized its lyrics. I could prove it to you right now—some 55 years later—but organizers of this event limited me to two minutes.

“There are statues of great people throughout the Capitol. Men and women of significant accomplishment. But today marks a first. Johnny Cash represents the first such statue of a professional musician, and while many statues are of people some of us have never heard of, rare will it be that someone will see this masterpiece and not know of the legendary singer-songwriter represented here. That makes me proud.

“A couple of weekends ago, while catching up on Arkansas Week on PBS, I heard Rosanne comment on the significance of this moment. Her dad won many awards and accolades. He’s a Hall of Fame artist. One of the most recognizable figures in American history. But to hear her say that this dedication—to have his likeness standing in the iconic symbol of freedom in the world—tops them all, gave perspective to this day.

“And the artist, Kevin Kresse, whose God-given talent in this magnificent statue is surpassed only by his incredible ability to portray Johnny Cash as he truly was, down to the finite detail. In this statue, Kevin, I can actually see the ‘gravel in his gut and the spit in his eye.’ Well done.

“To my friend Shane Broadway, the Arkansas General Assembly, and everyone associated with this rare occasion, thank you.

“Now, Arkansas will have Daisy Bates forever surveying this historic hall and the ‘Man in Black,’ larger than life, in the Visitors Center. No one walking by these impressive memorials will fail to know who they were, what they did, and where they were from. That makes me Arkansas proud.”

A recording of Congressman Womack’s remarks can be found here.

A recording of the entire ceremony can be found here.