Sun continued to release singles and albums of unissued Cash material into the '60s. By the end of the year, he had released his first single for the label, "All Over Again," which became another Top Five success. Both of these were deciding factors in the vocalist's decision to sign with Columbia Records in 1958. The label was also unwilling to increase Cash's record royalties. His success continued to roll throughout 1958, as he earned his biggest hit, "Ballad of a Teenage Queen" (number one for ten weeks), as well another number one single, "Guess Things Happen That Way." For most of 1958, Cash attempted to record a gospel album, but Sun refused to allow him to record one. Eventually, he earned the nickname of "The Man in Black." Cash became the first Sun artist to release a long-playing album in November of 1957, when Johnny Cash with His Hot and Blue Guitar hit the stores. A second single, "Folsom Prison Blues," reached the country Top Five in early 1956 and its follow-up, "I Walk the Line," was number one for six weeks and crossed over into the pop Top 20.Ĭash had an equally successful year in 1957, scoring several country hits including the Top 15 "Give My Love to Rose." He also made his Grand Ole Opry debut that year, appearing all in black where the other performers were decked out in flamboyant, rhinestone-studded outfits. "Cry Cry Cry" became a success upon its release in 1955, entering the country charts at number 14 and leading to a spot on The Louisiana Hayride, where he stayed for nearly a year. On it, Phillips billed Cash as "Johnny," which upset the singer because he felt it sounded too young the record producer also dubbed Perkins and Grant as the Tennessee Two. Soon, Cash released "Cry Cry Cry"/"Hey Porter" as his debut single for Sun. Cash returned with "Hey Porter," which immediately caught Phillips' ear. Phillips asked him to come back with something more commercial.
Initially, Cash presented himself as a gospel singer, but Phillips turned him down.
The trio occasionally played for free on a local radio station, KWEM, and tried to secure gigs and an audition at Sun Records.Ĭash finally landed an audition with Sun Records and its founder, Sam Phillips, in 1955. During the evenings, he played country music in a trio that also consisted of guitarist Luther Perkins and bassist Marshall Grant. He began writing songs in earnest, including "Folsom Prison Blues." He left the Air Force in 1954, married a Texas woman named Vivian Leberto, and moved to Memphis, where he took a radio-announcing course at a broadcasting school on the GI Bill. Cash bought his first guitar and taught himself to play. With the outbreak of the Korean War, he enlisted in the Air Force. Cash graduated from high school in 1950, moving to Detroit to work in an auto factory for a brief while. While he was in high school, he sang on the Arkansas radio station KLCN. He was inspired by the country songs he had heard on the radio. By the time he was 12 years old, he had begun writing his own songs. Cash, was born and raised in Arkansas, moving to Dyess when he was three. And he was one of country music's biggest stars of the '50s and '60s, scoring well over 100 hit singles.Ĭash, whose birth name was J.R.
However, there was a deep sense of history - as he would later illustrate with his series of historical albums - that kept him forever tied with country. Cash's career coincided with the birth of rock & roll, and his rebellious attitude and simple, direct musical attack shared a lot of similarities with rock. He created his own subgenre, falling halfway between the blunt emotional honesty of folk, the rebelliousness of rock & roll, and the world-weariness of country. Cash didn't sound like Nashville, nor did he sound like honky tonk or rock & roll. With his deep, resonant baritone and spare percussive guitar, he had a basic, distinctive sound. Johnny Cash was one of the most imposing and influential figures in post-World War II country music.