Johnny Cash’s Career Was Revitalized By This Famous 1968 Performance

Lauren Novak January 13, 4:18 pm

THE JOHNNY CASH SHOW, Johnny Cash, 1969-1971 — Everett Collection

Whether you’re a fan of classic country music or not, there’s no doubt you know who Johnny Cash is and could even name some of his most famous tunes. Cash got his breakthrough in 1955, recording with Sun Records and touring with Elvis Presley. By the late ’60s, it was unknown if Cash would become a legend or if his name would linger in the shadows. However, one performance changed everything for him, and it was in a very unexpected place.

On January 13, 1968, Cash decided to record a live album of his hit songs at Folsom Prison in California. While many people told him it was a bad idea, Cash rejected them all, wanting to give back to the prison and its inmates, many of whom would send Cash letters about how his music changed their lives.

Door to Door Maniac (aka Five Minutes to Live) Johnny Cash, 1961

Everett Collection

Cash performed two shows at Folsom State Prison that day, dressed in his signature all-black clothing, with his soon-to-be wife and fellow country singer June Carter, plus Carl Perkins, the Statler Brothers and his longtime touring band, the Tennessee Three, accompanying him on stage. He immediately performed his song “Folsom Prison Blues,” eliciting a rousing response from the crowd.

The album ended up being one of the top-selling albums of the 1960s, reinvigorated his career and left a mark on the music industry forever. To further commiserate with the audience of inmates, he played some of his darkest tunes, including “Cocaine Blues” and “Long Black Veil.” He closed out the show with the song “Greystone Chapel,” written by Folsom Prison inmate Glen Sherley, a song that Cash discovered the night before the concert and stayed up all night to learn.

In addition to the success of the album, the song “Folsom Prison Blues” became Cash’s first No. 1 country hit in five years. It was such a hit that he followed it up with the live San Quentin album in 1969 at the San Quentin State Prison. He went on to perform at around 30 prisons around the country during his long career. Now tell us, what’s your favorite song from the album?