Johnny Cash Shared Major Regret Early in His Musical Career (That Probably Seemed Like a Win at the Time)

Johnny Cash is undoubtedly one of the most legendary figures in country music, known for being the voice behind iconic songs like “I Walk The Line” and “Ring Of Fire.” However, he does have one musical regret. The singer wishes he’d learned how to take better care of his voice early on, as he shares in his memoir, Cash.

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When Johnny Cash was a boy, his mother signed him up for voice lessons. She even did “schoolteachers’ laundry” to pay for them, as Cash notes in his book. He even remarks that, although he was hesitant about lessons at first, the teacher he went to was “young, kind, and very pretty”. That was more than enough motivation to keep singing!

For his first few lessons, Cash reveals that the teacher had him sing popular Irish ballads while she accompanied him on piano. After Cash sang a song for her that was a little more his style (“Long Gone Lonesome Blues” by Hank Williams), she had this to say.

“When I was through, she said, ‘Don’t ever take voice lessons again. Don’t let me or anyone else change the way you sing.’ Then she sent me home.”

Cash continued, “I regretted not being able to see that pretty lady anymore, but I followed her advice, and now I regret that, too, in a way.” He even admitted, “It would have been good to know more about the voice, how to protect it and strengthen it instead of damaging it as much as I did.”

The Day Johnny Cash Got His Voice

Johnny Cash grew up singing gospel music in the town of Kingsland, Arkansas. After serving in the Air Force for a few years, Cash eventually moved to Memphis, Tennessee, where he rose to prominence in the mid-50s. Known for that bass-baritone sound, Cash’s voice has easily become one of the most recognizable among artists of every genre.

Also in his memoir, Cash talks about when his voice first broke as a teenager. He sounded so different initially that his mother didn’t even recognize him when she heard Johnny singing in the house. It was then that Cash’s mother got emotional.

“I sang some more for her, exploring my new range,” he writes. “And as I found out how deep I could go, her eyes teared up and she said, ‘You sound exactly like my daddy.’ Then she said, ‘God has his hand on you son. Don’t ever forget the gift.’”

He writes, “I don’t think Momma really wondered who was singing, she knew it was me.”

Photo by: Rob Verhorst/Redferns