Johnny Cash was born 26th February 1932 and was one of six siblings to Ray & Carrie Rivers Cash. When John was 3 the family moved to Dyess Colony in northern Arkansas where they took advantage of a new Roosevelt Farm Program farming 20 acres of Cotton fields and other seasonal crops.
Music paid a large part in John's life while growing up, he was always listening to his mother's folk songs and hymns and songs from the nearby railroad yards.
In later years John would remember his life in Arkansas and gain the inspiration for some of his songs like 'Pickin' Time', 'Five Feet High' and 'Look At Them Beans'
John remained in Dyess Colony until his graduation from high school in 1950. As a young man he travelled to Detroit in search of work but ended up in Pontiac, Mich where he found work in an automotive plant. His time in the North Country was short lived and John soon enlisted in the U.S. Air Force. While training in Texas he met his first wife to be Vivian Liberto. After basic training in Texas he was shipped out to Landsberg, Germany.
John was discharged for the U.S. Air Force in 1954 and returned stateside to marry Vivian. Soon after John & Vivian settled in Memphis where John had various jobs while trying to break into the music business.
In 1954 John went for an audition as a solo artist for Sam Phillips at the Sun Studios, where he hoped to record gospel music for the label, but Sam immediately nixed that idea. The following spring John returned to the Sun Studios to record with his band 'The Tennessee Three' which consisted of Luther Perkins, Bass Player, Marshall Grant & Red Kernodle on Pedal Steel. Red Kernodle decided to pull out on the session and John's first release for the label 'Hey Porter' had a sparse, but highly effective instrumental accompaniment. Although it was an impressive single unfortunately it failed the charts.
John's follow up release 'Cry, Cry, Cry' did manage to crack Billboard's Top 20, peaking at #14, with this a long succession of chart singles followed. 'So Doggone Lonesome' & 'Folsom Prison Blues' both broke into the trade publication's Top 10. It was John's 4th chart single that proved to be his career song ' I Walk The Line' which got to the #1 position in the Billboard charts and staying there for an incredible 43 weeks, resulting in sales of over 2 million copies.
In 1956 John was invited to perform on the Grand Ole Opry, this was his life time dream and by 1957 John had racked up an impressive sting of hits and was working more than 200 dates a year. The following year he decided to change to Columbia Records in search of more artistic freedom, he still wanted to make gospel records and felt he had a better chance by changing his record company and therefore achieve his goal on another label.
All through the remaining 1950's & 1960's John continued to produce records like 'Don't Take Your Guns to Town', 'I Got Stripes', 'Ring Of Fire', 'Understand Your Man' & 'The Ballard of Ira Hayes' all of which reached the upper record charts. Later followed appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show, The Tonight Show and other top rated network programs. In the early 1960's concept albums such as 'Bitter Tears' & 'Ballards of the True West' made him a favourite among the folk music crowd, resulting in an appearance at the Newport Folk Festival.
Things started to spin out of control for John, his marriage to Vivian was breaking down and a divorce was inevitable, his gruelling tour schedule was now up to 300 shows a year and he had become dependant on narcotics to keep up the hectic pace, all this began to have a impact on his career.
By 1967 and with the help of his singing partner June Carter & her family John managed to overcome his addition. In 1968 John & June were married and his career experienced a renaissance. Throughout the remaining 60's and into the 70's John was at the top again. Live recordings of 'Folsom Prison' & 'Sun Quentin' both went gold and many awards followed including the Country Music Association's Entertainer of the Year & Male Vocalist awards in 1969.
 In 1969 was the ultimate network television spot 'The Johnny Cash Show' aired on ABC. The show was taped at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium and featured a mix of guest like Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Louis Armstrong & Merle Haggard. Through this selection a guests John helped to bridge the generation gap and break down musical barriers. He often used his show to discuss social issues of the day such as the plight of the Native Americans, Prison reform and the conflict of Vietnam. Unfortunately the show ceased in 1971, but John continued to host many specials for several years to come.
In 1980 and only at the age of 48 John became the youngest living inductee into the Country Music Hall of Fame, and in 1995 The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame bestowed its honour on him making him one of only a handful of country artists in both organizations.
John joined friends with Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings & Kris Krisofferson to form 'The Highwayman' in 1985. The group released 3 albums between 1985 & 1995 and had a #1 hit with 'Highwayman' from their first album 'The Highwaymen'. Although John was battling with serious health problems in the late 1990's he entered a professional renaissance after signing with rap producer Rick Rubin's American record label. In 1994 'American Recordings' was released and won a Grammy for best contemporary folk album. The follow up, 1996's 'Unchained' earned the Grammy for best country album in 1997. His 2000 release 'American III', 'Solitary Man', included a cover of Neil Diamond's 'Solitary Man' won John a Grammy for the best country vocal performance in 2001.
In 2002 John released 'American IV', 'The Man Comes Around' which included the nine-inch single 'Hurt'. John received six nominations at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards for 'Hurt', picking up the honour of Cinematography.
John lost his wife June unexpectedly in May 2003, and after battling so long with his own illness Johnny Cash passed away peacefully on 12th September 2003 at the Baptist Hospital in Nasville.
click here for the current article
| 
