Johnny Cash, known as “the man in black”, was a legendary American country musician who sold over 50 million albums in a career spanning nearly 50 years. He achieved commercial success with hits like “Folsom Prison Blues” and “I Walk the Line”. Cash also dealt with drug addiction issues and was known for his prison shows. He experienced a resurgence in popularity towards the end of his career and his cover of “Hurt” served as an epitaph. A biopic about his life, Walk the Line, was released in 2006.
Johnny Cash is a legendary American country musician, often referred to as “the man in black”. Born in 1932 in Kingsland, Arkansas, to an impoverished farming family, Johnny Cash (known as JR Cash) sold more than 50 million albums in a career that spanned nearly 50 years, until his death in 2003. He is a multiple Grammy winner Awards during his lifetime, and is widely recognized as one of the most influential musicians in American history.
Johnny Cash trained as a radio operator at the US Air Force; while stationed at an airbase in Germany, he formed his first band, the Landsberg Barbarians. After his education was complete, Cash married his first wife, Vivian Liberto, and moved with her to Memphis, Tennessee. There, he worked as an appliance salesman while secretly harboring an ambition to become a famous musician.
In 1955 his wish came true. Johnny Cash and his bandmates recorded two songs, “Hey Porter” and “Cry Cry Cry” for Sam Phillips’ famous Sun Studios record label, which became popular on country radio stations. His next album, Folsom Prison Blues, was Cash’s hit; reached the Top 5 in country music and a single, “I Walk the Line”, was number one on the country charts and also gained popularity among mainstream music fans.
In 1957, Johnny Cash left Sun Records to sign with Columbia, where he achieved even greater commercial success. His personal life during this period, however, was quite turbulent. His wife Vivian gave birth to four children, including now-famous country star Roseanne Cash; however, Cash toured frequently and rarely saw his family. Johnny and Vivian divorced in 1966 and two years later Johnny married June Carter, another country music star.
Johnny Cash dealt with drug addiction issues in the 1960s and early 1970s; he drank heavily and became addicted to amphetamines and barbiturates. In 1965, he was arrested in Texas for drug possession and received a suspended sentence.
Johnny Cash was known for his prison shows. Many of these shows have been recorded and released such as the popular live albums Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison and Johnny Cash at San Quentin. Cash also guest-starred on an ABC talk show, The Johnny Cash Show, which hosted Bob Dylan and Neil Young, among other well-known artists.
Johnny Cash experienced a resurgence in popularity towards the end of his career for covers of popular songs. After his death in 2003 from complications from diabetes, her cover of the Nine Inch Nails song “Hurt” garnered major radio airplay, serving as an epitaph.
In 2006, Walk the Line was released, a biopic about Johnny Cash’s life and relationship with June Carter. Cash was played by Joaquin Phoenix, who performed his own voice, and June Carter was played by Reese Witherspoon, who won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in the film.
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