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The DAN WHYMS STORY:
It all started for Dan Whyms when he first heard that captivating baritone voice of Johnny Cash singing 'Cry, Cry, Cry' on the family radio in the late 1950's. By 1960 Dan was consumed by him. He bought '45s', albums, and read every magazine and newspaper article he could find containing news about his mentor.
He first saw The Johnny Cash
Show in the summer of 1969 at the Wisconsin State Fair in Milwaukee.
That was all it took! The following week Dan purchased his first guitar
and at years end could perform 10 of Cash's hits flawlessly.
By the time Dan relocated
to Western Washington in the fall of 1969, he was able to sing most
of Cash's material. Music fans in the Olympia area were amazed with
his ability to imitate legendary singers like Johnny, Hank Williams,
Ray Price, Roger Miller and others.
By the 1970's Dan formed his
own band, D.W.I. which included a guitar virtuoso from El Paso, Texas,
Russ Hedrick. Success followed with steady club dates and radio bookings
for KMPS Radio, Seattle (at the time KMPS was the largest country radio
station in the Pacific Northwest). In 1979 D.W.I. won the local competition
for the Wrangler Country Showdown. Then came the 80's when Dan's musical
career went on hold for his family. Dan and wife Melva had 6 boys to
raise. Still they frequently talked of moving to Nashville, Tennessee
or Austin, Texas to pursue his musical goals.
In 1990, while vacationing
in Nashville, Dan had the opportunity to perform at Tootsie's Orchid
Lounge. Terri Clark, an unknown artist at the time, showed him how to
operate the drum machine and turned the stage over to him. Fans couldn't
believe their ears, neither could Terri. If he sang Willie, he was Willie.
If he sang Waylon, he was Waylon. Remarkable! That evening while visiting
a friend at the Nashville Palace, he was asked to perform. He opened
with Merle Haggard's 'Ramblin Fever' and the crowd went wild. Then he
sang Johnny Cash's 'Folsom Prison Blues' and was given a standing ovation
and an encore!
While traveling to Austin,
Texas in 1996, Dan befriended James White, owner of the world famous
honky tonk - The Broken Spoke. He returned in 2000 to perform with Gene
Watson, Leona Williams, Doug Sahm and others for the annual Broken Spoke
Birthday Party, While on stage with Alvin Crow's Pleasant Valley Boys,
Dan performed 'Folsom Prison Blues' and once again the fans went crazy
with comments like "I thought Johnny Cash was here", "Unbelievable",
"Amazing".Owner James White said, "Dan anytime you're
in Austin, you're welcome here at the Spoke".
September 12, 2003: Black Friday - Johnny Cash dies
in Nashville.
Johnny Cash is the most recognized
person both visually and vocally in the entire history of recorded music
worldwide. He is voted by the industry as the #1 man in all of Country
Music history. He's the only person in the Country Music Hall of Fame,
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and the Song Writer's Hall of Fame. In 2003
he received Album of the Year, Single of the Year and Video of the Year.
"Johnny Cash is a true American Icon and I'll proudly perform his
music in tribute forever" ---Dan Whyms, November 30,
2003
And Johnny Cash's legacy continues!
Johnny's
alive and well in McCleary
By Terry Loney - Daily world writer
DAILY WORLD / TERRY LONEY
Dan
Whyms of McCleary is one of the world's top Johnny Cash impersonators.
He walks an eerie line, bringing a legend back to life, and if you think
he's just cashing in on another man's fame, you need to understand that
Dan Whyms loves Johnny Cash.
Whether singing or just talking, Whyms sounds just like the Hall of Fame
singer.
The McCleary man's deep baritone has just the right amount of gruffy twang.
If you close your eyes while he sings "Ring of Fire" you'd swear
it was a recording by his idol.
"I hear that all the time," says Whyms, 56, one of just a handful
of Cash impersonators in the world. Whyms even looks a bit like the "Man
in Black." His jet black hair is combed straight back like Johnny's,
and he has the same stocky build.
Whyms is a member of Rock Island Line, a tribute band that features several
talented musicians. He launched the tribute show after Cash died in 2003.
"I was compelled to keep his wonderful music alive," Whyms says.
"There is just no one else like Johnny Cash."Cash, he notes,
is the only person in the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Rock 'n' Roll
Hall of Fame and the Song Writers' Hall of Fame.
On
July 22 and 23, Whyms and Rock Island Line will be performing at Rounders,
a McCleary tavern Whyms owns with his partner, Rell Thedford. Bartending
is his day job.Whyms' combo will be at the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma
over the Labor Day Weekend, kicking off a tour that could take them to
Las Vegas.
The tribute show should delight any Johnny Cash fan. Whyms and his band
cover Cash's career from its barnstorming, hard-drinking beginning to
its deeply spiritual end. "It is a chronology of his recording career,"
Whyms says.
He likes everything Cash recorded, but "Ring of Fire" - co-written
by Johnny's second wife, June Carter Cash, and featuring soaring Mariachi
trumpets - is one of his favorites.
When he was in high school, Whyms began buying every Cash album he could
find. He now has about 150 and more than 70 45's. Whyms also owns a trove
of Cash memorabilia, including autographed pictures, posters and a guitar
strap that was made for Johnny Cash by a friend. Now it's on Whyms' guitar.
Whyms, born in Wisconsin, says he saw Cash perform twice. When he was
20, in the summer of 1969, Whyms saw Cash at the Wisconsin State Fair
in Milwaukee. He saw him again in the early 1980s when Cash performed
at the Grays Harbor County Fair - impressing everyone he met with his
modest, down-home approachability.
Whyms bought his first guitar after seeing his idol for the first time
and learned how to play 10 Cash songs by the end of the year.
He met Johnny in Madison, Wis., in 1974 and got a chance to speak with
him at Elma.
Whyms says even Johnny was amazed at how much he sounded like him.
The two share a few connections - seemingly by fate.
Cash recorded a song called "Melva's Wine."
Melva "is a very odd name," Whyms notes. It happens to be his
wife's name.
Whyms also does good imitations of Hank Williams Sr. Charlie Pride and
Willie Nelson.
He has a long history as a performer. He was in the bands DWI and Wild
Cat Creek - named for the creek that passes through McCleary - and played
at Gary Locke's first inauguration as governor. He has written a few songs
of his own, but has mostly covered other performers' songs.
But it's the Cash tribute show that is garnering him fame. He signed a
contract with 3CI Entertainment Group earlier this year. The agency set
up the Emerald Queen show.
Whyms expects 3CI to take the show all the way to Las Vegas and beyond
contact www.3ci.net
3ci Entertainment Group offices Seattle-Tacoma 253-815-6795
BBA\3ci South Longview Portland 360-577-8660
"We expect to go all over the world," Whyms says. "The
Emerald Queen is the biggest room in the (area), and they are starting
us off there."
Terry Loney, a Daily World writer covering East County, can be reached
at (360) 532-4000, ext. 137, or at tloney@thedailyworld.com
For Booking Contact Duiane Rice at 3Ci
253-815-6795
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