"I Will Dance With You" is one of those songs--like "Lonesome to the Bone" and "Ballad of Barbara"--that John would get ahold of and keep releasing different versions. There are three different ones out there.

The song was written by Jack Routh, who was married a long time ago to Carlene Carter and is the father of June's grandson, John Jackson Routh. Of all the "ex-sons-in-law" he had by far the most professional "action" with John, who recorded many of his songs: "All Around Cowboy" on "Look At Them Beans"; both "Crystal Chandeliers and Burgundy" and " Lay Back With My Woman" on "Junkie and Juicehead Minus Me; (Carlene also did her husband's "Friendly Gates" on that same album, giving him three composer credits); "Hard Times Comin' on "John R. Cash"; ""Letter From Home" on "Johnny Cash is Coming to Town"; and "Field of Diamonds" (co-written with John) on "Heroes," which of course also turned up on "American III." 

 He was also the Fisherman on "The Rambler," an album he co-produced with Charlie Bragg, and recorded a few songs on his own, including a single where he duets with John on "Your Love is MY Refuge." Also, the album "A Believer Sings the Truth" credits him with singing a duet with John on the first released version of "Greatest Cowboy Of Them All," although I am not sure that is accurate: Routh certainly played guitar on that cut, but it is questionable as to whether his voice is on it

Routh (pronounced "Ruth") played guitar on the first recording of the song in late 1976, the version which ended up on "Last Gunfighter Ballad." Billy Sherrill produced the second try about four years later, during the "Baron" sessions. The song was not on the album, but was actually the B-side of the Top 10 title cut single.

Karen Brooks, who had a son with the songwriter Gary P. Nunn, the writer of the "Austin City Limits" theme, was known mostly for her songwriting herself. She had one decent hit, "Fakin' Love" with T.G. Shepherd in the early 1980s. Rather than through John, the song came to her via Routh, and she recorded both "I Will Dance With You" as well as Routh's "I Do Blues" for her 1985 Warner Brothers album called "I Will Dance With You." The title song was also released as a single, billed as "Duet with Johnny Cash", who did what was for him at that time a very, very rare vocal appearance with an another artist. The album and the single both sunk without much trace.

Brooks now lives in Austin, Texas and is not prominent on the recording scene. Routh lives in California with his wife and family; his son Jackson is getting married this summer.

- Mark