The Raised Middle Finger: Why It Means More In Country

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During Johnny Cash’s legendary concert at San Quentin Prison in 1969, photographer Jim Marshall said to Johnny backstage, “John, let’s do a shot for the warden.” The result was the photograph above that mostly remained under wraps until 1998. That is when producer Rick Rubin decided to use the iconic photo in an ad in Billboard magazine decrying country radio’s lack of love for Johnny’s second album on Rubin’s American label called Unchained. Despite no industry support, Unchained went on to win the 1998 Grammy for “Best Country Album.”

Since then the image of the angry face and the raised middle finger has become an iconic symbol of defiance against the direction of country music. As indecent as a raised middle finger happens to be in the first place (and the propensity for some seedy country fans and artists to over-saturate its use in every single photo of them), it has come to mean much more than its vulgar connotation in the fight to save country music.

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Willie Nelson’s middle finger photo was shot by a photographer named Sean Moorman on Willie Nelson’s tour bus on July 26, 2002. The title of image is “Willie Nelson Sending Jim Marshall Regards.” Both the Jim Marshall photo of Johnny Cash and the Sean Moorman photo of Willie stimulated litigation when Urban Outfitters printed up Johnny Cash middle finger T-shirts without permission, and Spencer Gifts did the same with Willie.

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Dale Watson doing his best Johnny Cash impression:

Dale Watson on July 24, 2011


Leroy Virgil of Hellbound Glory letting the bird fly for Dirty Impound’s The Freebird Project (James R. Martin – Photographer):

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Hank Williams III and David Allan Coe in younger days:

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Jonny (Corndawg) Fritz telling a fan they’re #1 (Kayley Luftig – Photographer):

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Bob Wayne, adding the stink eye for extra emphasis:

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Jeff Austin of the Yonder Mountain String Band doing the double bird (Chad Smith Photography):

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Keith Richards’ middle finger is insured for $1.6 million. Yes, that one he’s point at you. And no, I’m not kidding.

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The wet cigarette of country music, Kid Rock. And Saving Country Music friend “Pointer” from a downtown Nashville excursion in 2011 getting his picture with Kid Rock on the front of Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge.

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Townes Van Zandt, from the back cover of his 1972 album The Late Great Townes Van Zandt.

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Kellie Pickler telling Kanye West “Fuck You!” for not liking country music (see video).

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Lenny Kravitz giving the crowd at the 2013 CMA Fan Fest the double bird because they “couldn’t get with love” during his elongated set that left the crowd underwhelmed.

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A sign hanging up in the Johnny Cash themed bar and music venue in Austin, TX called the Mean Eyed Cat.

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The ad Rick Rubin placed in Billboard Magazine after Johnny Cash won the 1998 Grammy for Best Country Album:

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