Johnny Cash Music Festival Includes Vince Gill, Larry Gatlin

The Johnny Cash Music Festival will hold its third annual benefit show in August, and the star-studded line-up is sure to draw in an impressive crowd. Vince Gill, Larry Gatlin & the Gatlin Brothers and Jimmy Fortune are all scheduled to appear at the concert, which raises money for the necessary renovations at Cash's childhood home in Dyess, Ark., and funds scholarships for three local high school graduates.

Gill says he is happy to lend his talents to the worthwhile cause. "Rosanne [Cash] was a huge part of me having a shot at doing this as a career," he explains to Billboard magazine of Cash's daughter. "I got a record deal because I played in her band. The record company saw me playing guitar and singing harmony, and took a shot on me. I'm excited about going back to his homeplace, and doing something for the education of young people. That's never anything but a great idea."

Gill adds, "I got to know him a little bit through those years of being around Rodney [Crowell] and Rosanne when they were married. Those people who are iconic are that way for a reason. There's a reason that some people are better than you."

Concert producer Bill Carter anticipates this event might be the best one yet. "Larry Gatlin -- who was a longtime friend of Johnny's  -- will be there, and he has so many stories about him," he notes. "There's nobody on the show that can't talk about great Cash experiences. Jimmy Fortune will be there, and he is as good solo before an audience as anyone else. Then, Vince Gill is on the bill. His show is one of the best in the business. I guarantee that anyone who comes this year will see an incredible show."

The show will be hosted by Cash's brother, Tommy Cash, and includes an appearance by his sister, Joanne Cash Yates. The event begins at 7PM on Aug. 17 at the ASU Convention Center in Jonesboro, Ark. Tickets are available here.