Search results
John R. Cash (born J. R. Cash; February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American country singer-songwriter. Most of Cash's music contains themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption, especially songs from the later stages of his career.
- Who Was Johnny Cash?
- Early Life
- Military Service and Musical Aspirations
- Johnny Cash and The Tennessee Two
- Drugs and Divorce
- Remarriage and Revival
- Final Years, Death and Legacy
Johnny Cash grew up in a poor farming community and joined the Air Force in 1950. He co-founded a band following his discharge, and within a few years Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Two had scored hits with songs like "Walk the Line." Cash's career was nearly derailed in the 1960s by a serious substance-abuse problem, but his marriage to June Carter...
Cash was born on February 26, 1932, in Kingsland, Arkansas. The son of poor Southern Baptist sharecroppers, Cash, one of seven children born to Ray and Carrie Rivers Cash, moved with his family at the age of 3 to Dyess, Arkansas, so that his father could take advantage of the New Deal farming programs instituted by President Franklin Roosevelt. The...
In 1950, Cash graduated high school and left Dyess to seek employment, venturing to Pontiac, Michigan, for a brief stint at an auto body plant. That summer he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force as "John R. Cash"—military regulations required a full first name—and he was sent for training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, where he met fu...
In July 1954, another Memphis musician, Elvis Presley, cut his first record, sparking a wave of Elvis-mania as well as an interest in the local producer, Sun Records owner Sam Phillips, who had issued the record. Later that year Cash, Grant and Perkins made an unannounced visit to Sun to ask Phillips for an audition. The Sun Records owner gave in a...
By the early 1960s, Cash, who had relocated his family to California and left Sun for Columbia Records, was a musical superstar. On the road for 300 nights a year with the group now known as the Tennessee Three, he was often accompanied by June Carter, who co-wrote what became one of the Man in Black's signature songs, "Ring of Fire" (1963). Cash a...
Cash got the lifeline he needed from his old touring companion, June Carter, who helped him refocus on his Christian faith and get the drug addiction treatment he needed. The two were married on March 1, 1968. With his new wife, Cash embarked on a remarkable turnaround. In 1969, he began hosting The Johnny Cash Show, a TV variety series that showca...
Cash's physical health became more of an issue in the late 1990s. He was diagnosed with the neurodegenerative disease Shy-Drager syndrome—a misdiagnosis that was later corrected to autonomic neuropathy—and was hospitalized for pneumonia in 1998. Still, the artist continued making music. In 2002, he released American IV: The Man Comes Around, a mix ...
- editor@biography.com
- Staff Editorial Team And Contributors
Explore the life and legacy of Johnny Cash, one of the most important artists in music history. Find out the latest news, listen to his songs, watch videos, visit his museum and shop for merchandise.
Feb 22, 2024 · Johnny Cash (born February 26, 1932, Kingsland, Arkansas, U.S.—died September 12, 2003, Nashville, Tennessee) was an American singer and songwriter whose work broadened the scope of country and western music. “The Million Dollar Quartet” (from left to right: Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Elvis Presley, and Johnny Cash).
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
People also ask
What are Johnny Cash's signature songs?
What are Johnny Cash's biggest hits?
What did Johnny Cash do in San Quentin?
Is Johnny Cash still alive?
Johnny Cash's official YouTube channel. Johnny Cash is an icon whose music and image resonate among multiple generations. His unique, sparse songs bridged a ...
Dec 10, 2020 · Learn about the life and career of Johnny Cash, the "Man in Black" who was a bundle of contradictions, a Christian, a rebel, a songwriter and a novelist. Discover his family history, his musical influences, his spiritual struggles and his legacy.