In 1994, producer Rick Rubin brought Johnny Cash back to the forefront of country music when he produced Cash’s album American Recordings, rejuvenating the Man in Black’s career. They went on to make Unchained together in 1998, even winning a Grammy for Best Country Album. However, country radio wasn’t playing Johnny Cash anymore. In Nashville’s eyes, Cash had run his course.
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That year, March 1998, Rubin uncovered a photograph of Cash from 1969. That February, Johnny Cash was playing California’s San Quentin Prison, where his well-known live album and documentary were recorded. According to the San Francisco Art Exchange, per a 2011 report from NME, that day photographer Jim Marshall snapped an iconic photo of Cash with his middle finger up, urged by the prompt, “Let’s do a shot for the warden.”
Cash gave the camera the bird, also looking like he was in the middle of dropping an F-bomb. That photo has since circulated nearly everywhere. Marshall allegedly said that it’s “probably the most ripped off photograph in the history of the world.”
Johnny Cash giving the middle finger, 1969 pic.twitter.com/MGkyvamaHK
— Classic Rock In Pics (@crockpics) August 24, 2021
[RELATED: 3 of the Best Opening Lines by Johnny Cash That’ll Catch Your Country-Loving Ears]
Meanwhile, in 1998, Rick Rubin Uses Johnny Cash’s iconic San Quentin Photo to Send Nashville a Message
Almost 30 years later, Rick Rubin used the photograph of Johnny Cash flipping the bird to send a message to Nashville and country radio. He took out a full-page ad in Billboard Magazine, which allegedly cost him $20,000 at the time.
The photo loomed large in black and white across the entire page, Johnny Cash’s middle finger front and center. The photo was accompanied by the snarky caption, “American Recordings and Johnny Cash would like to acknowledge the Nashville music establishment and country radio for your support.”
Imagine being a Nashville country music executive settling in with the latest edition of Billboard, only to see Johnny Cash giving you the finger across a whole page. According to a report from Country Rebel, many of Cash’s country music contemporaries supported him. Willie Nelson allegedly hung the ad up in his tour bus, saying, “John speaks for all of us. Everyone who comes in has to see it.”
According to Rubin, who allegedly commented on his bold move at the time, “We hope it will open the eyes of the country community and hopefully they’ll say, ‘The guy did win.’” He added, “And he’s making records considered the best in the country and maybe we should readdress the situation.”
Featured Image by ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images
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