Musicians - Johnny Cash

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	Musicians - Johnny Cash

John Ray Cash (February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was a vastly influential American country music and rock music singer, guitarist and songwriter.

Cash was known for his deep, distinctive voice, the boom-chick-a-boom or "freight train" sound of his Tennessee Three backing band, and his dark clothing and demeanor, which earned him the nickname "The Man in Black." He started all his concerts with the simple introduction: "Hello, I'm Johnny Cash."

Much of Cash's music, especially that of his later career, echoed themes of sorrow, moral tribulation and redemption. Hits include "I Walk the Line", "Folsom Prison Blues", "Ring of Fire", "Man In Black" and a cover of the Nine Inch Nails song, "Hurt". He also recorded several mildly humorous songs , such as "Cocaine Blues", "One Piece At A Time", "The One on the Right is on the Left" and "A Boy Named Sue"; bouncy numbers such as "Get Rhythm"; and various train-related songs, such as "The Rock Island Line".

In a career that spanned almost five decades, Cash was the personification of country music to many people around the world, despite his distaste for the Nashville mainstream. Yet, like Ray Charles, The Beatles, Bob Dylan and Elvis Presley, Cash was a musician who transcended genre. He recorded songs that could be considered rock and roll, blues, rockabilly, folk and gospel, and exerted an influence on each of those genres. Moreover, he had the unique distinction among country artists of having "crossed over" late in his career to become popular with an unexpected demographic, young indie and alternative rock fans. His diversity was evidenced by his presence in three major music halls of fame: the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Only ten performers are in both of the first two, and only Hank Williams Sr. and Jimmie Rodgers share the honour with Cash of being in all three. His pioneering contribution to the genre has also been recognized by the Rockabilly Hall of Fame.

Biography

Early life

"The Man in Black" was born in Kingsland, Arkansas, but then raised in Dyess, Arkansas. By age five he was working in the cotton fields, singing along with his family as they worked. The family farm was flooded on at least one occasion, which later inspired him to write the song "Five Feet High And Rising."

Cash was told he was one-quarter Cherokee but in-depth research revealed he was not. His Native American compassion later showed out in several of his songs, like "Apache Tears", "Ballad of Ira Hayes" and his album "Bitter Tears".

Cash was very close to his brother Jack, who was two years older than him. In 1944, Jack was pulled into a whirling table saw in the mill where he worked, and almost cut in two. He suffered for over a week before he died. There was some talk that Jack's death might not have been accidental; a local bully was seen running from the shop shortly before Jack was found. However, Cash did not discuss that theory in his autobiography. Cash often spoke of the horrible guilt he felt over this incident, because he had gone out fishing that day. He also wrote that he and his mother and apparently also Jack had an ominous premonition that day, but Jack went to work against their urging, as the family needed the money. On his deathbed, Jack said he had had visions of Heaven and angels. Almost sixty years later, Cash spoke of looking forward to meeting his brother in Heaven. He wrote in his bio that he had seen his brother many times in his dreams, and that Jack always looked two years older than whatever age Johnny himself was at that moment.

Cash's early memories were dominated by gospel music and radio. He began playing guitar and writing songs as a young boy, and in high school sang on a local radio station. He was dubbed "John" upon enlisting as a radio operator in the United States Air Force, which refused to accept initials as his name. Thereafter, he was known as Johnny and sometimes as John R. While an airman in West Germany, Cash wrote one of his most famous songs, "Folsom Prison Blues," after seeing the B-movie Inside the Walls of Folsom Prison.

Early career

After his term of service ended, Cash married Vivian Liberto in 1954 and moved to Memphis, Tennessee, where he sold appliances while studying to be a radio announcer. At night, he played with guitarist Luther Perkins and bass player Marshall Grant (together known as the Tennessee Two). Cash worked up the courage to visit the Sun Records studio, hoping to garner a recording contract. Sun producer Cowboy Jack Clement met with the young singer first, and suggested that Cash return to meet producer Sam Phillips. After auditioning for Phillips, singing mainly gospel tunes, Phillips told him to "go home and sin, then come back with a song I can sell." Cash eventually won over Phillips and Clement with new songs delivered in his early frenetic style. His first recordings at Sun, "Hey Porter" and "Cry Cry Cry," were released in 1955 and met with reasonable success on the country hit parade.

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Musicians - Johnny Cash

Biography

Early life

Early career

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