Cash Johnny, born John R. Cash, *26 February 1932 Kingsland, Arkansas, †12 September 2003 Nashville, Tennesse, American singer, guitarist, composer, songwriter, producer, and actor. He had no formal musical training. He began participating in amateur singing contests at an early age; he started composing in the 1950s while serving in the military. In 1955, he signed a contract with Sun Records, resulting in the 1957 album Johnny Cash. With His Hot & Blue Guitar. The singer, blessed with a warm baritone voice, performed songs in the country, rockabilly, and blues traditions (Cry Cry Cry, There You Go, Folsom Prison Blues, Come in Stranger, The Ways of a Woman in Love). Over time, he expanded his repertoire to include poignant protest songs, folk music (The Ballads of the True West), folk songs from other nations, and religious hymns (The Holy Land). He also performed compositions by M. Travis (Nine Pound Hammer), B. Dylan (Don’t Think Twice), B. Springsteen (Johnny 99), and Native American bards (Bitter Tears). In his lyrics, he addressed the plight of the poorest, the disadvantaged, and those afflicted by fate. The albums At Folsom Prison (1968) and At San Quentin (1969) were recorded during Cash’s performances in American prisons. From the early 1960s, he toured with June Carter, whom he married in 1968. In the mid-1960s, he was considered a symbol of country music and had a significant influence on many figures in popular music. He recorded albums with, W. Jennings, H. Williams Jr., B. Dylan, P. McCartney, and the band U2. Cash’s biggest hits are: I Walk the Line (1956), Ballad of a Teenage Queen (1958), Ring of Fire (1963), A Boy Named Sue (1969), If I Were a Carpenter (1970), What Is Truth (1970), A Thing Called Love (1972), and One Piece at a Time (1976). He is the recipient of numerous awards and honors; among others, he received a Grammy Award for the songs: Jackson (1968), Folsom Prison Blues (1969), A Boy Named Sue (1970), If I Were a Carpenter (1971), and The Highwayman (1986). Cash recorded for Columbia, Mercury, and Def American; his albums include: The Fabulous Johnny Cash (1958), Hello I’m Johnny Cash (1970), Man in Black (1971), A Thing Called Love (1972), One Piece at a Time (1976), Gone Girl (1978), The Survivors (1982), Water From the Wells of Home (1988), and The Mystery of Life (1991). In 1987, he toured Poland.
Cash was the hero of the film The Man, His World, His Music (dir. R. Elfstrom, 1969); he produced the religious film In the Footsteps of Jesus in 1971; he hosted the television show The Johnny Cash Show (1969–1971, 1976). As an actor, he appeared in the films: Five Minutes to Live (dir. B. Karn, 1958), A Gunfight (dir. L. Johnson, 1970), The Pride of Jesse Hallam and Murder in Coweta County (dir. G. Nelson, 1980, 1982), and The Last Days of Frank and Jesse James (dir. W.A. Graham, 1986). In the 1980s, Cash’s daughter Rosanne began her singing career.
Literature: Johnny Cash Man in Black, Grand Rapids (Michigan) 1975; J.L. Smith The Johnny Cash Discography 1954–1984, Westport (Connecticut) 1985; S. Dolan Johnny Cash. Pop Culture Legends, New York 1994; Johnny Cash, P. Carr Cash. The Autobiography, San Francisco 1997; F. Moriarty Johnny Cash, New York 1997.
