11B: Johnny Cash

Johnny Cash was an influential country musician and an early pioneer of rock ‘n roll. He was born in 1932 in Kingsland, Arkansas. (Question 1 — Kingsland is about 70 miles from the state south of Arkansas. Which state is that? Answers below.) His parents were poor cotton farmers. Johnny grew up listening to the Carter Family on the radio.

When he was 22 and living in Memphis, Tennessee, he visited a place called Sun Studios and talked to a man named Sam Phillips about recording some songs.

Sam Phillips (left) and Johnny Cash in 1954

Johnny Cash’s sound had two distinguishing characteristics: (1) his deep baritone-bass voice (this means it was really low — how low can you make your voice?); and (2) the train-like chugging of the guitar rhythms. See if you notice these things in his first song, “Hey Porter.”

Provided to YouTube by The Orchard Enterprises Hey! Porter · Johnny Cash The Best Of The Sun Years ℗ 2001 Charly Records ℗ 2004 Licensemusic.com aps ℗ 2009 C...

Many of Johnny’s songs were about sorrow, and doing the wrong things, and then regretting it. He became very popular among prisoners. (Question 2 — Why do you think this is?)

His nickname was “The Man in Black.” I’ll bet you can guess why.

Johnny Cash recorded two live albums in prisons. (Recording a “live” album means it was recorded in front of an audience, instead of a recording studio.) Here, he sings “Folsom Prison Blues” at San Quentin Prison in California. Listen again for the chug-chug of the music.

Whilst I have a rather different world view from the late great Johnny Cash, I'm nevertheless a big fan. He's the reason I first picked up a guitar in 2003. ...

Johnny also had a sense of humor. One of his hits was “A Boy Named Sue,” written by Shel Silverstein. (He also wrote “The Giving Tree” and “Where the Sidewalk Ends.”) Watch how Johnny moves his “picking hand” (the hand that strums the guitar) from the body of the guitar, to the neck, and back.

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Johnny married June Carter (she was Mother Maybelle Carter’s daughter) in the late 1960s. They recorded together and were married for 35 years, until Johnny died. Here they are singing “Jackson” on his TV show in 1970. (When two people sing together, it’s called a “duet.”)

Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash performing "Jackson" from The Best Of The Johnny Cash TV Show Listen to Johnny Cash: https://JohnnyCash.lnk.to/listenYD Subs...

By the 1990s, most country music was being made by younger artists. Johnny Cash was mostly forgotten. Then, Johnny met someone who helped hip-hop and heavy-metal bands. They made some albums together, and Johnny found a new, younger audience.

Answers:

1 — The state just south of Arkansas is Louisiana.

2 — Prisoners are in prisons because they’ve done bad things that they often regret.