On This Day in 1959, Johnny Cash Played His First Concert Outside the United States, Cementing His International Star Status

On this day (April 15) in 1959, Johnny Cash played the first show on his first international tour. The three-stop outing saw Cash and his Tennessee Two–Luther Perkins and Marshall Grant–traveling to Australia to perform in Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane. He was among a handful of popular artists from the United States who made the trek to bring the budding genre of rock and roll to fans Down Under.

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The first of three shows took place on April 15 at the Melbourne Festival Hall. The next night, the tour moved to the Sydney Stadium. Then, on April 20, they played at the Milton Tennis Court in Brisbane. According to his website, Cash was back in the United States days after the Brisbane show. He played in Los Angeles, California, on April 24.

[RELATED: 70 Years Ago Today, Johnny Cash Recorded His First No. 1—a Song He Wrote as a Promise to His First Wife]

Today, Cash is remembered as a country music legend. That wasn’t always the case, though. His early recordings leaned heavily toward the rock and roll sound of his contemporaries, Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis. As a result, he was billed as the “King of Western Rock n Roll” on promotional materials for his first international tour.

Johnny Cash’s Road to Australia

Cash’s road to Australia started years before he stepped on the plane. In fact, the road was being constructed before he released his first single. Vinyl LPs hit shelves in the early 1950s, making it easier for music to cross international borders. Then, in 1953, an American entrepreneur named Lee Gordon moved to Australia. According to Australia in the ’50s, Gordon played a major part in bringing music from the United States to the Land Down Under.

His Big Show Promotions brought the likes of Bill Haley & His Comets, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, Buddy Holly, and Chuck Berry to Aussie audiences. When Cash did his brief stint in the country in 1959, it was thanks to Big Show Promotions.

Cash headlined the short tour, but he wasn’t alone on the bill. Gene Vincent (“Be-Bop-a-Lula,” “Lotta Lovin’”), The Playmates (“Beep Beep,” “Jo-Ann”), Bobby Day (“Over and Over,” “Rockin’ Robin”), and Frankie Sardo (“Fake Out”) were the other Americans on the lineup. Local talent Col Joye and the Joye Boys provided support.

This wasn’t the last time Johnny Cash traveled to Australia. He toured the country multiple times over the years. He also wrote a song about Ned Kelly, one of the country’s most infamous outlaws from the 19^th century. The song, “Ned Kelly,” appears on his 1971 album Man in Black.

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