Steve Waddington is "Cashin' In" the ultimate Johnny Cash Tribute Artist serving Southern California and the Southwest region as endorsed by Kris Kristofferson
The Ultimate Johnny Cash Tribute
“You sound so much like Cash, it's scary!”
— Kris Kristofferson
“You don't even have to LIKE country music to LOVE Johnny Cash, and we LOVE seeing Steve's Johnny Cash tribute!”
— Wink and Sandy Martindale
The Definitive Image of "The Man in Black"
At 6'5" tall and slender, featuring the iconic long black coat, dark hair piled high, and an acoustic guitar slung over his shoulder, Steve Waddington delivers the definitive image of Johnny Cash in his prime.
And when he steps up to the mic, that big, rich, baritone voice leaves no doubt: this is the Ultimate Johnny Cash Tribute. Every signature detail is meticulously recreated, from strumming the strings halfway up the neck, to holding the guitar up to ear level and aiming it like a rifle, to playing two harmonicas simultaneously on “Orange Blossom Special.” Delivered with raw passion and a great sense of humor, it is an exciting, audience-immersive show, and a world-class celebration of the legendary “Man in Black”.
Three Eras of Iconic Music
Backed by the finest professional musicians in Southern California, Cashin' In is scalable to replicate three distinct eras of Johnny Cash's career:
  • The Tennessee Three Era: Recreating the elegant, driving simplicity of the early boom-chicka-boom Sun Records sound.
  • The NBC TV Show Era: Replicating the full, premium live band arrangements of his network television peak.
  • The American Recordings Era: Recalling the raw, stripped-back power of his late-career Rick Rubin masterworks. 
The Setlist Highlights
Audiences will experience definitive live performances of their favorite classics, including:
  • “I Walk the Line” • “Folsom Prison Blues” • “Ring of Fire” • “I Got Stripes” • “A Boy Named Sue” • “Sunday Morning Coming Down”
  • Later Rick Rubin hits: “Hurt” • “The Man Comes Around” • “God's Gonna Cut You Down” • “Personal Jesus”
  • Special Feature (Schedule Permitting): The show can also include powerhouse vocalist Susan Ritter performing as "June Carter" for legendary duets like “Jackson” and “Big Mouth Woman.” 
Career Highlights & Historic Performances
  • Onstage with Kris Kristofferson: During a historic live performance at an awards show, country music icon Kris Kristofferson joined the band onstage to perform a selection of his hits. He told Steve “You sound so much like Cash, it's scary”, on stage, and on mic. After the show, Kris signed Steve's guitar in the dressing room. 
  • Tribute to Sun Records: Steve was honored to represent Johnny Cash and his iconic early catalog at the high-profile, sold-out Sun Records celebration at The Grand Event Center in Long Beach.
  • The Palomino Rides Again: Steve was chosen as the only tribute act invited to perform at the historic, one-night-only reopening of the legendary Palomino Club for a charity event, sharing the stage with Americana/Country performers Jim Lauderdale, Rosie Flores, James Intveld, The Nelson Twins, and more.

With Kris Kristofferson