Who Sings What on the 'Walk the Line' Movie Soundtrack?

Featuring Performances By Joaquin Phoenix, Reese Witherspoon and Tyler Hilton

The 63rd Annual Golden Globe Awards - Press Room
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The 2005 film "Walk the Line", about the life and career of country music legend Johnny Cash and his relationship with his wife and fellow country music star June Carter, was a box office hit and won critical acclaim. Joaquin Phoenix (as Johnny Cash) and Reese Witherspoon (as June Carter) bring to life the story of musical legend Johnny Cash and the love of his life in "Walk the Line", which was written and directed by James Mangold.

Movie Synopsis and Awards

The film traces Cash's life from his childhood in the 1930s to 1968, from his troubled youth to his early beginnings as a country artist up to reinventing himself as the "Man In Black" and utilizing his outlaw image to perform concerts in prisons nationwide. At the same time, the film explores the often troubled relationship between Carter and Cash as their careers paralleled and eventually united. Furthermore, Cash's history of substance abuse problems is also covered. But most of all, "Walk the Line" celebrates the huge success Cash had as a musician and includes renditions of many of Cash's biggest hits. The film was nominated for five Academy Awards, with Reese Witherspoon winning for Best Actress. Both Phoenix and Witherspoon also won Golden Globe Awards for their performances in the film.

Unlike many other biopics about musicians, Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon did their own singing in the film and on the soundtrack, so not only did they win over critics for their portrayals of Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash, they also impressed audiences with their singing ability. Director James Mangold felt their performances would bring authenticity to the film. Other actors who performed their own singing in the film and on the soundtrack are Waylon Payne (who plays Jerry Lee Lewis in the film), Tyler Hilton (who plays Elvis Presley in the film), Jonathan Rice (who plays Roy Orbison in the film), and Shooter Jennings (who plays his father, Waylon Jennings).

"Walk The Line - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack" was released by 20th Century Fox and Wind-Up Records on November 15, three days before the film was released in the United States. The soundtrack album was produced by award-winning producer T Bone Burnett.

Like the film, the soundtrack album was also very successful. The album reached #9 on the U.S. Billboard 200, #3 on the U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums Chart, #1 on the U.S. Billboard Top Soundtrack Chart, and was certified Platinum by the RIAA for selling one million copies. The soundtrack also charted in several other countries, including Australia (#2), Canada (#4), New Zealand (#6), and Germany (#12).

Since all the music on the soundtrack album were new versions of older songs, none of the songs on the soundtrack were eligible to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song. However, in 2007 the "Walk the Line" soundtrack won a Grammy Award for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media.

"Walk The Line - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack" Song List

1) "Get Rhythm" - Joaquin Phoenix
2) "I Walk the Line" - Joaquin Phoenix
3) "Wildwood Flower" - Reese Witherspoon
4) "Lewis Boogie" - Waylon Payne
5) "Ring of Fire" - Joaquin Phoenix
6) "You're My Baby" - Johnathan Rice
7) "Cry Cry Cry" - Joaquin Phoenix
8) "Folsom Prison Blues" - Joaquin Phoenix
9) "That's All Right" - Tyler Hilton
10) "Juke Box Blues" - Reese Witherspoon
11) "It Ain't Me Babe" - Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon
12) "Home of the Blues" - Joaquin Phoenix
13) "Milk Cow Blues" - Tyler Hilton
14) "I'm a Long Way From Home" - Shooter Jennings
15) "Cocaine Blues" - Joaquin Phoenix
16) "Jackson" - Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon

The CD release also includes two deleted scenes from the film:
1. "Rock 'n' Roll Ruby" - Joaquin Phoenix
2. "Jackson" (Extended Cut) - Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon

Edited by Christopher McKittrick