Country Archives, 1968: Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Three Perform One of His Biggest Hits for a Military Crowd

Johnny Cash was many things in his life. He was a songwriter, a recording artist, an author, and a television host, among other things. The Man in Black was also a United States Air Force Veteran. He served from 1950 to 1954, receiving his honorable discharge before the beginning of the Vietnam War. In 1968, he was more than a decade removed from military service. However, he never forgot about those who served.

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Operation: Entertainment was a variety show filmed on various military bases across the United States. Over the show’s two-season run, it featured a long list of actors, comedians, and musicians performing material aimed at both veterans and active duty military personnel. In a case of saving the best for last, the show’s final episode featured Johnny Cash, June Carter Cash, the Tennessee Three (Luther Perkins, W.S. Holland, and Marshall Grant), and others. IN the clip below, Cash and his legendary backing band perform “Folsom Prison Blues” for a crowd of troops stationed at Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls, Texas.

[RELATED: On This Day in 1969, Johnny Cash Was at No. 1 with a Song First Recorded Behind the Walls of a Prison]

Johnny Cash Wrote Many of His Early Hits While in the Military

Johnny Cash began writing songs while he was still in the military, stationed in Germany. When he finished his service and returned to the United States, he inked a deal with Sun Records. He released his first singles with the label in 1955. His debut full-length, Johnny Cash with His Hot and Blue Guitar, came two years later.

“Folsom Prison Blues” was the B-side to his second single, “So Doggone Lonesome.” The single went to No. 4 on the country chart. However, more than a decade later, a new recording of the song would become a massive hit and one of his signature songs.

Cash recorded his first live album, At Folsom Prison, in January 1968. He released it four months later. The next month, he released the live cut of “Folsom Prison Blues” as a single from the album. It went to No. 1 on the country chart and stayed there for four weeks. It also landed in the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 32.

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