Man in Black returning to Shafter

"James Garner's Tribute to Johnny Cash" will be returning to Shafter's Ford Theater on Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 17 and 18. Garner appeared at the Shafter Ford Theater last year in a sold-out show that entertained the crowd with nostalgic songs and storytelling by Garner.

"We're excited to bring our show back to Shafter," Garner said. "We played to a sold-out crowd, so we are glad to be playing three shows over two days to give more folks a chance to see the show." The showtimes are Saturday at 2 and 7 p.m., and Sunday at 3 p.m.

Garner was first exposed to Cash when he was a young kid by his mother, who was playing some music on the car radio. "Once I heard that first song, I was hooked," he said.

Garner sings and plays the guitar, as a part of his band Boom-Chick-a-Boom. The rest of the band is Reggie Gay of Woodland on the guitar, Chris Akin of Stockton on the bass and Nick Auriemmo of Lodi on the drums.

Garner has been playing his tribute to the Man in Black since 2007, traveling all across the country and overseas. One of Garner's most memorable experiences during this time was at Folsom Prison in 2008, commemorating the 40th anniversary of Cash's performance and live album that was recorded there.

Garner was fortunate enough to meet Cash when he was a young boy. His mother took him to see Cash in Fresno, also being able to make it backstage and meet the artist and shake his hand. "That was a big highlight of my life, being able to meet him and talk to him just for a couple of minutes," Garner said .

In addition to the popular songs in Cash's playlist, Garner tells a lot of stories about Cash, his experiences on the road, and other tidbits that the average person might not know about the singer.

In addition to playing more than 700 shows all over the country, Garner's group has also released three full-length albums, making them the most recorded and published Johnny Cash tribute show in the nation. Garner's show also has been featured numerous times live in concert on local PBS stations.

Tickets are available for $48.39 at the Shafter Ford Theater and at ShafterFordTheater.com or by calling 661-630-4059.