Johnny Cash

About Johnny Cash

The man in black, Johnny Cash, is a great example of the highs and lows of a music career. Today, Cash is an outlaw hero to millions of music fans around the world, and the bass-voiced singer is held up as an American icon. There is undeniable power in a Johnny Cash song, and Cash's unique, deep-whisky voice transcends language. Even non-English speakers say they get chills listening to Cash's cinematic songs. But Johnny wasn't always an establishment darling either, and the rebel musician refused to play by Nashville's rules (a stance tantamount to heresy for a country musician in the 1960's.) Johnny Cash always did what he wanted, which also got him into trouble with drugs and alcohol. Fortunately, Cash pulled himself together and, towards the end of his life, he was able to enjoy the acclaim directed towards him by a generation of worshipful musicians. Johnny Cash was one of seven children born to Ray and Carrie Cash in the small town of Dyess, Arkansas. The family made a living by farming cotton fields, and Cash later said that music was an integral part of their everyday life, both when working in the fields and when listening to gospel radio in the evenings. Young Johnny was also deeply affected when his older brother Jack was involved in a fatal accident at the local mill. After a stint in the Air Force, Cash moved to Memphis with the dream of becoming a radio DJ. After meeting and jamming with guitarist Luther Perkins and bassist Marshall Grant, Cash then found the courage to take the trio for an audition with legendary Sun Records impresario Sam Philips. Philips was initially unimpressed by Cash's gospel repertoire, but he heard something special when Cash brought him the up-tempo original tunes "Cry, Cry, Cry" and "Hey Porter." Those two songs were released as a single, which brought the name Johnny Cash to the attention of country music radio listeners. Today, the Johnny Cash catalog reads like a hit parade, and his subsequent singles include the hits "Ring of Fire", "Walk the Line", "Folshom Prison Blues", "One Piece At A Time", "Sunday Morning" and "A Boy Named Sue," as well as a feature film and numerous tribute albums dedicated to the man.