Perhaps one of the most impressive and legendary figures in country music was the immortal Johnny Cash, or as his fans called him “The man in black.” He’s by far one of the best-selling musicians of all time selling over 90 million records worldwide. He’s also a huge inspiration for artists across multiple genres as his fan base extends far beyond country music fans. In fact, it can be said that he was perhaps the first true country-pop star since Elvis was more “Rock & Roll.” However, he didn’t stay confined to the country genre, over the course of his nearly 50-year career, Cash performed songs that spanned many genres such as country, folk, blues, rockabilly, rock and roll, and gospel.
Cash’s calm, baritone, gravelly voice emoted emotions as deep as the ocean that truly resonates in one’s soul. One particular song called “A Boy Named Sue” is widely considered to be one of his best. The song was written by poet and humorist Shel Silverstein, and Cash recorded it during his iconic live At San Quentin album that he recorded inside California’s infamous San Quentin State Prison. This version went on to become Cash’s most successful hit on the Billboard Hot 100, spending two weeks at number two in 1969. It was also number one on the Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks and Country Songs charts. In this video, we get to see the live performance that started it all.
In the video, we see cash sitting on a stage with his guitar along with the rest of his band. The camera cuts to shots of some of the inmates, all wearing identical blue jumpsuits. Almost all the men are smiling because perhaps just for a few hours, they may have felt freed by Cash’s music.
Image via YouTube
You can watch Cash’s legendary performance in the video below.