Musician, and Arkansas legend, Johnny Cash, has been recognized with U.S. Capitol statue, reports The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

On the eve of unveiling of a bronze sculpture honoring musician Johnny Cash at the U.S. Capitol, sculptor Kevin Kresse took a moment to reflect on Cash as a person.

Kresse, the Little Rock artist behind the Cash statue, addressed some of the Arkansans who traveled to the nation’s capital for the occasion during a pre-reception Monday evening. While Kresse noted Cash’s musical accomplishments — such as selling “a gazillion records worldwide” — he emphasized Cash’s character in explaining why the Arkansan is worthy of a statue.

“For me, it’s the fact that he took all of that — he took his successes, his standing, his wealth, everything he accrued — instead of holding onto it tightly, trying to get more, he turned it around and shined a light on those who were stepped over, overlooked, pushed to the margins, the so-called ‘those people’ of our society,” Kresse said Monday evening at The Hamilton venue in downtown Washington, D.C.

“When (Cash) sang about wearing a black coat and clothing for different groups, what he was saying was, ‘I’m standing up,’” Kresse added, referencing the Cash song, “Man In Black.”

Kresse stood alongside members of the Cash family, Arkansas lawmakers and congressional leaders Tuesday morning when they pulled the cover off the Cash statue on Tuesday in the Capitol Visitor Center, officially putting the sculpture into the National Statuary Hall collection.

Read the full report at The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.