<back - JOHNNY CASH - John R. Cash (February 26, 1932 - September 12, 2003) was an American music singer and songwriter.  His parents gave him just 'R.' as middle name. He was born in Kingsland, Arkansas, the son of a poor farmer. Johnny's family soon moved into a farm in Dyess, Arkansas, provided cheaply by the government as part of the 'New Deal', and by age 5 he was working in the cotton fields. He began playing guitar and writing songs as a young boy and in high school sang on a local radio station. After serving in the United States Air Force, Johnny Cash moved to Memphis, Tennessee where he sold appliances and studied to be a radio broadcast announcer.

At night, he played in a trio and one day approached Sam Phillips at Sun Records. Because he had been singing mainly Country and Gospel music, Sam had a idea. He said "go home and sin, then come back with a song I can sell." Cash did, and in 1955 his first recording at Sun Records, Cry Cry Cry, which became what would be many hit singles on the Country charts. His next record, Folsom Prison Blues, made the Top 5, and I Walk the Line was #1 on the Country charts. In 1957, Johnny Cash became the first Sun Records artist to release a long-playing album. The following year he left Sun Records to sign with Columbia Records where his single, Don't Take Your Guns to Town would become one of his biggest hits. Ring of Fire went to #1 on the Country charts and broke the Top 20 on the Pop charts.  Johnny Cash was trying to make changes in his life, including his marriage to June Carter (Carter Family), who had co-written Ring of Fire with him. Soon after Cash released his most successful album ever titled Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison. The following year, he released another prison album titled, Johnny Cash at San Quentin that included Shel Silverstein's 'A Boy Named Sue'. In 1980, Johnny Cash became the Country Music Hall of Fame's youngest living inductee at 48. In the mid 1980s Johnny recorded/ toured with Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson as the Highwaymen, making 2 hit albums. Unwanted by major labels he signed with Rick Rubin's American Recordings label, better known for Rap/Hard Rock. Under Rubin's supervision he recorded the album American Recordings (1994), accompanied only by his guitar. Johnny Cash has received 11 Grammy Awards, one of which came for a 1985 album with Roy Orbison, Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis. Titled, The Class Of '55, that celebrated their debut days at Sun Records. He received a Grammy Award for Lifetime Achievement in 1999. Johnny Cash was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame (1980) and the Rock&Roll Hall of Fame in 1992.
MP3- Ring of Fire | I Walk The Line | One |