When Johnny Cash performed, audiences were treated to soulful tunes, heartfelt storytelling and stripped-down authenticity. If you missed your chance to see the Man in Black in action, you're in luck. Local musician Corty Byron will perform a Johnny Cash concert at Christ Church United Church of Christ, 247 S. Market St., Elizabethtown. His performance on Friday, Feb. 21, will begin at 7 p.m. Proceeds from the event will benefit Threads and Treads, an annual event that raises money to purchase shoes and clothing for students in need in Elizabethtown Area School District.

For Byron, Cash has been a lifelong musical inspiration. He credits his grandfather, former Elizabethtown Mayor Ken Reighard, with introducing him to the country singer.

Although he will be performing Cash's music, Byron emphasizes that he's not doing an impression of the musician.

"It's me performing," he said. "I don't put on a wig and pretend to be Johnny Cash. It's just me going through his material. Audiences are going to hear all the hits they want to hear. For people who are not as close to his material as I am, they are going to hear some good surprises, too. I like digging deep and finding lesser-known songs Johnny did."

As a fan of Cash, Byron has enjoyed some unique opportunities to learn more about the musician. He has recorded in Sun Studio, the Memphis location where Cash and other notables, including Elvis Presley, also recorded.

He even visited Folsom State Prison, where Cash famously performed and recorded in the late 1960s.

"I got to meet one of the guards who would have walked Johnny into that concert in 1968," Byron recalled. "It was great to get a firsthand account of what Johnny was like and what that day was like."

Byron, who is a member of Christ Church, said supporting an event like Threads and Treads is important to him.

"It's such a good cause, and it directly impacts people in the community," he said. "When you donate to Threads and Treads, you're helping somebody right here where you live."

Threads and Treads will be held on Saturday, July 19, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Last year's event raised more than $3,000, said organizer Nadinne Ziegler. "We were able to help about 30 students with coats, hats, shoes and clothing," she shared. Christ Church will collect for Threads and Treads during the month of February as well as at Byron's concert.

Ziegler hopes people will come out again to support this year's Threads and Treads, noting that the event will have some new features, including a cornhole tournament.

Byron invites everyone to his concert, adding that Cash provides a robust musical catalog to choose from.

"Johnny Cash has had such a long career of recorded material," he said. "It starts in the mid-1950s, and he recorded until his death in September of 2003. It's hard to compare a career like that to anyone else."

He hopes audiences will hear songs they know and love as well as some new ones, and he noted that the concert provides a way to connect to the past.

"If you're a casual Johnny Cash fan, you're going to love what you hear," he said. "If you're deeper into Johnny Cash's music, chances are, I'll throw something in there that will surprise you. Johnny Cash is an interesting type of musical figure that just doesn't exist anymore. Having that long recorded legacy, his music allows us to feel closer to that generation that's not around much anymore."

Admission to the concert is free, but donations will be accepted. For more information, visit http://www.etownucc.org.