Robert G. Weiner

Robert G. Weiner first became interested in Johnny Cash when he saw the Grateful Dead perform “Big River,” and he sought out the original version. He bought a tape of “Cash’s Greatest Hits,” which he quickly wore out. In 1986, on his way to a Public Image Limited concert in Dallas, he read Cash’s autobiography, Man in Black, and on the trip back, he read Cash’s novel about St. Paul, Man in White. He is co-author of The Grateful Dead and the Deadheads and editor of Perspectives on the Grateful Dead. Weiner’s articles about Lubbock and gospel music appear in West Texas Historical Journal and the East Texas Historical Journal. He published the article “Atomic Music: Country Conservatism: Folk Discontent” in On the Culture of the American South, edited by Dennis Hall, and the “Cowboy Songs in Nature” in The Cowboy Way, edited by Paul Carlson. He most recently has book chapters in The Gospel of Superheroes and Landscape of Hollywood Westerns. He has graduate degrees in history and information science and is currently a reference librarian at the Mahon Library in Lubbock, Texas. Special thanks go to Emily Smith; her work in interlibrary loans made this essay possible. Also, thanks to Texas Tech University staff. Currently, Weiner can be seen in the music documentary “Lubbock Lights.” Weiner also wrote the Johnny Cash article featured in the Guide to United States Popular Culture, edited by Ray and Pat Browne.

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