Johnny Cash

Those that know me personally know that one of my All time Favorite Musical Artists, whom is also one of my alter egos, is the one and only Johnny Cash.  'The Man in Black', as he was called, overcame various odds throughout his life.  One of the most extreme odds he overcame was growing up poor.  Raised by cotton farmers in Arkansas during the Great Depression, Johnny Cash and his family encountered various obstacles.  The family farm was flooded on at least two occasions.  Cash learned the ethics of hard work at a young age and how to apply them to the most dire circumstances.  However, Cash would experience severe tragedy when his older brother Jack was killed in a grisly saw mill accident.  In fact, Jack Cash was almost cut in two.  Johnny Cash had become close to his brother Jack before the incident and he felt great guilt over his death.  Evidently, Cash's father was away that morning, but he and his mother, and Jack himself, all had a strange sense of foreboding about this day.  This caused his mother to urge Jack to skip work and go fishing with Johnny.  Jack insisted on working that day since the family needed money.  The tragedy, of course, not only affected the family emotionally, but financially as well.  Johnny Cash would end up joining the military.  However, he soon found that it wasn't a good fit for him, despite the prospects of giving him a better life.  Johnny Cash, of course, would become a successful musician in both the country and rock genres as evidenced by him being inducted into both the Country Music and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.   Cash's rough economic background during the Great Depression fueled his songwriting. Of course, with success comes hardships including drugs, alcohol, divorce and bad business deals.  Cash would divorce his first wife before marrying June Carter, the woman who he said years earlier he would marry one day.  Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash would die months apart in 2003 leaving a mark on the music industry that will last forever.

In some ways, Johnny Cash also overcame the odds of being able to appeal to people of all ages, race, sex, social status and political affiliation. Musicians in the genres of country, rock, blues, R&B, and gospel can all claim Cash as an influence.  His influence is still felt today among modern musicians.  I remember reading in his Autobiography how he and his son went to a Metallica concert in the 80s and enjoyed it.  He even met Ozzy Osbourne.  In addition, he literally 'Walked the Line' in reference to his political beliefs.   He met every U.S. President from Nixon to George W. Bush and never espoused one particular belief.  At his funeral in 2003, Al Gore and Hank Williams Jr. were in the same building.

My Friends! I've Said It Before and Ill Darn Sure Say It Again!! THERE WILL NEVER BE ANOTHER JOHNNY CASH!!!

Nicole Marquez

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My next OVERCOMING THE ODDS article is on another Jackson, MS native.  Nicole Marquez has been dancing almost all of her life.  When Nicole was 25, she moved to New York City to pursue her dreams and had a horrible accident, falling six stories and breaking her back and neck in three different places.  While most people would think her dreams of being a dancer were over, Nicole had a different outlook. 

When Nicole was in the hospital, she admits she heard one of the doctors saying she may never walk again and would be a quadriplegic confined to a wheel chair.  “When I heard that”, Nicole says, “She had a ventilator in her throat and couldn’t say anything to the doctors.”  However, she told herself that that wasn’t going to happen to her and that she would definitely “walk again and dance again.”  After years of physical therapy, Nicole is still working to pursue her goals.  “I’ve done physical therapy and occupational therapy,” Nicole says, “and I’ve also done yoga.”   Compared to where Nicole was 7 years ago after accident is simply a miracle.  Her persistence to keep getting better and improve has helped her overcome the odds of a debilitating situation.  “Much like a car, I keep running but have to go in for a tune up,” she said. Periodically, Nicole visits with dancing teachers to get updates on her progress.  Since the accident, she has had huge support from family and friends.

As far as getting back to functioning totally normally and dancing on a regular basis, Nicole that there is no timeline and things will happen when they happen.  “I can’t say if I can do it you can do it because that’s a lie” Nicole says.  “It is up to the person to decide if they want to make their situation better.”  Nicole admits that she came from a family that instilled the mindset in her that if you aren’t happy in your situation, fix it yourself.  “When I had my accident, I told myself I was going to make myself better no matter what,” Nicole says.  “A person has to make that as their goal to improve their situation, it’s not easy but anything is possible.”

Nicole Marquez works as a Motivational Speaker in the Metro Jackson area and continues to pursue her personal goals.  Nicole Marquez Overcame the Odds of a crippling injury that threatened to ostracize her from society and prevent her from pursuing her dream of becoming a dancer.

For $2.99, get Nicole Marquez's ebook Falling Isn't Failure 

http://www.blurb.com/ebooks/612284-falling-isn-t-failure-pages

"Rowdy" Roddy Piper

Of course, my next OVERCOMING THE ODDS article is on the one and only Hot Rod "Rowdy" Roddy Piper (R.I.P.).  Many people would think I would write an article just because he's a Wrestler, but Rowdy Roddy Piper was another man who Overcame the Odds like no other.  Born Roderick Toombs Saskatchewan, Piper had a troubled youth and overcame various conflicts.  At one point during his childhood he even lived on an Indian Reservation in the freezing cold.  Piper had severe problems at school, both academically and personally, and also problems at home.  He admits to fighting with his father which led him to leave home at age 13 and go from living on the streets and staying in youth hostels.  Piper admitted in a WWE Documentary that "living on the streets made him more compassionate and less judgmental of people."  Somewhere along the time of his teen years, he found a knack for playing the bagpipes, which he admitted helped him escape in times of trouble.  After picking up small jobs at local gyms, Piper became interested in Professional Wrestling and the Pros took him under their wings but not without severe initiation.  In the 1970's, Pro Wrestling was a very protective business and breaking into it was extremely challenging.  Piper paid his dues wrestling in the Undercard in Events all over North America.  He made his name in the Portland, Oregon Wrestling Territory of the NWA (National Wrestling Alliance).  He would then find similar fame in the Southern territories in Georgia and the Carolinas (Crockett Promotions).  Right at this time, Vince McMahon Jr. had the idea of expanding his late father's Northeastern Territory WWE to become a Nationwide Phenomenon.  Piper was chosen to come on board and the rest they say is history.  He headlined the First Wrestlemania with Hulk Hogan and Mr. T and became one of the most recognizable names in Sports Entertainment and in Pop Culture.  At the time MTV was collaborating with WWE and Rowdy Roddy Piper was calling out stars like Cyndi Lauper.  Piper even ventured into movies and starred in John Carpenter's 1988 Cult Classic They Live.  The character he played, Nada, was very identifiable for him.  Nada was a Drifter who had left home at 13 and went from town to town looking for work only to stumble upon a secret that most of Humanity was unaware of at the time.  There's one point in the movie where Piper's character Nada remembers the days when his father would preach him the Gospel, Get Drunk, beat him and try to cut him with a razor blad.  Referring to the bad guys in the film, Nada says "I got news for 'hem..There's gonna be hell to pay. 'Cause I ain't daddy's little boy anymore."

Of course, just because Roddy Piper would Overcome the Odds of poverty through a career in Wrestling and movies didnt mean there wouldn't be more obstacles to overcome.  In the early 2000's, Roddy Piper was involved in a Sever Car Accident that nearly killed him and injured him severely.  Eventually, he would recover and would return to the ring on a limited basis.  In 2006, Piper was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphona and underwent radiation therapy.  It was a rough process but Piper fought it the best he could.  By 2015, he claimed he was cancer free.  Unfortunately, Piper died in his sleep of heart failure on July 31, 2015 at his home in LA.  Even though he lived a relatively short life, "Rowdy" Roddy Piper was living proof that one could overcome the odds their circumstances.  He had a rough childhood so he left home at the tender age of 13 and fought poverty and living on the streets.  Roddy Piper excelled in a profession that was not only hard on the body bur hard to break into.  He proved he had Crossover Appeal as John Carpenter's They Live is still praised today.  Piper overcame the odds of a severe car accident and cancer.  The Hot Rod "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, My Friends there will never be Another!!  R.I.P.  Just to mention UFC Fighter Ronda Rousey dedicated the bout that she won tonight in memory of Piper.  Now she's Rowdy Too!!!

Attached is my Video Tribute to Piper!!! Enjoy!!!

https://video-atl1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hvideo-xtp1/v/t42.1790-2/11795687_10101227387617599_1681952582_n.mp4?efg=eyJybHIiOjMwMiwicmxhIjo1MTJ9&rl=302&vabr=168&oh=af279eaf49baadbc651250d949fe439d&oe=55BD6252