On this day (September 12) in 2003, Johnny Cash died of complications from diabetes while at Baptist Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee. June Carter Cash, his wife of 35 years, died just four months earlier. Before he died, the lauded songwriter built a legacy of empathy and a catalog of timeless country music.
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Cash released “Cry! Cry! Cry!” as his debut single in 1955. It peaked at No. 14, giving him an early hit and setting the stage for a string of six top 10 hits. Among those was “I Walk the Line,” his first No. 1. He continued to see chart success throughout the 1950s, scoring a dozen more top 10 hits. Three of those went all the way to the top of the chart.
The 1960s saw Cash releasing some of his most popular singles. “Ring of Fire” gave him his first No. 1 of the decade in 1963. The live version of “Folsom Prison Blues” topped the chart in 1968. “A Boy Named Sue,” recorded behind the walls of San Quentin, brought him another No. 1 in 1969.
Two years later, he released a single that gave him his enduring nickname and explained how he felt about the world.
Johnny Cash: The Man in Black
Johnny Cash wrote and released “Man in Black” in 1971 as the lead single from the album of the same name. At the time, he was coming to the end of a string of top-five hits that started with “Folsom Prison Blues” and included five No. 1 singles. “Man in Black” peaked at No. 3. It was a protest song decrying the treatment of the impoverished and incarcerated and criticizing war and government corruption.
This was far from the first time Cash had shown empathy for the underdog, though. It was just the plainest statement.
He played several shows in prisons, two of which became hit albums. He released At Folsom Prison in 1968 and At San Quentin the next year. Both went to No. 1. More importantly, though, is the reason he played those concerts. He played for inmates because he believed he wanted to bring some light, hope, and music into their lives.
One of his early concerts at San Quentin inspired a young Merle Haggard to turn his life around and pursue a music career. This is just one story that proves the impact he had on the inmates.
“The Ballad of Ira Hayes”
Before any of that, Johnny Cash released Bitter Tears: Ballads of the American Indian in 1964. The album contained songs about the poor treatment of Indigenous Americans. Indigenous activist, poet, and songwriter Peter LaFarge wrote five of the album’s eight songs. One of his contributions was “The Ballad of Ira Hayes,” a ballad of an American WWII hero that country radio refused to play.
Cash knew Bitter Tears and “The Ballad of Ira Hayes” would be controversial. He knew he was going against the grain of the industry. He didn’t care. Instead, he stood on his beliefs and let the chips fall where they may. That, more than his songwriting, his singing, or his distinctive guitar style, made him a legend whose legacy will never die.
Featured Image by Rob Verhorst/Redferns
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