Johnny Cash Live At Folsom Prison Analysis

Johnny Cash was born in Kingsland, Arkansas, to Ray and Carrie, and was raised in Dyess, Arkansas. His father Ray Cash, was a farmer, hobo, and odd job laborer. Ray and his son Roy, worked hard developing their government subsidized farmland when Johnny was older he then joined them. After working in the fields during the day, Johnny would listen to the radio at night, picking out the Memphis stations with their mix of country and blues songs. He began playing guitar and writing songs, which he was taught by his mother and a close friend. He was performing nationally on the radio by the age of twelve. Johnny joined in the Air Force, Cash then married Vivian Liberto and signed with Sun Records in 1955. In 1956, Cash recorded his first big hit 'Folsom Prison Blues'. The following

Although all of this success he had a downfall and became addicted to drugs and alcohol. He was banned from the Grande Old Opry in 1965 because of a crucial breakout he had created. He then had a divorce with Liberto, but in the 1960’s he then met June Carter. They both made big hit duet recordings, one of which was called 'Jackson'. The following year he won two Grammy awards for 'Johnny Cash Live at Folsom Prison'. Cash also presented his own variety program - on the ABC television network for three years called “The Johnny Cash Show”. Throughout 1971, Cash continued to have hits, including the Top Three 'Man in Black'. In the mid - 1970s, Cash's popularity and number of hit songs began to decline, but his autobiography, titled Man in Black, was published in 1975 and sold over 1.3 million copies. In 1980, he became the youngest inductee to the Country Music Hall of Fame. In 1991 he was presented with a Grammy Legend Award. In 1992 he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He then joined with U2 on their 1993 album 'Zooropa'. His 1994 album, 'American Recordings' received him a Grammy for Best Contemporary Folk