On This Day in 1963, Johnny Cash Was in the Studio Recording a Major Hit Co-Written About Him by His Future Wife

On this day (March 25) in 1963, Johnny Cash recorded “Ring of Fire” at the Columbia studio in Nashville. Written by June Carter and Merle Kilgore, the song became his biggest hit, topping the country chart for seven weeks. Moreover, it went on to be one of Cash’s signature songs. In hindsight, the song was also a preview of one of the most talked-about relationships in country music history.

Videos by American Songwriter

Cash and Carter became one of country music’s favorite couples a few years after this song became a hit. However, when Carter began working on it, she was married to her second husband, Edwin Nix. Cash was married to Vivian Liberto at the time. However, they were already collaborating musically and touring together. Moreover, they were becoming closer, and the proverbial sparks were starting to fly.

[RELATED: On This Day in 1955, Johnny Cash Landed His First Single on the Country Chart, Kicking Off a Long String of Hits]

According to Songfacts, Carter got the song’s title from a letter she received from a friend. After going through a divorce, the friend wrote, “Love is like a burning ring of fire. I can’t stand it anymore, and I’ll never fall in love again.” Carter, on the other hand, saw her growing but forbidden affection for her collaborator as an all-consuming fire.

Johnny Cash Wasn’t the First to Record “Ring of Fire”

“Ring of Fire” is one of Johnny Cash’s signature songs. After it spent seven weeks at No. 1, it became his biggest hit. However, he wasn’t the first to cut the song. Instead, June Carter’s sister, Anita, cut the original. Her rendition was titled “(Love’s) Ring of Fire” and appeared on her 1962 debut solo album, Folk Songs Old and New.

Cash took the song in a completely different direction. The original is, as the album title suggests, a folk-leaning recording. Cash, on the other hand, recorded it in his style with one notable addition. His “Ring of Fire” features Bill McElhiney playing a Mariachi trumpet. Cash chose to add the horn to the arrangement because he heard it in a dream.

Featured Image by Hulton Archive/Getty Images