Johnny Cash Man in BlackFew would have imagined that the child born to farming parents Ray and Carrie Cash would go on to become one of the most famous and successful musical artists of all time. But that is exactly what Johnny Cash Man in Black became.Johnny Cash was born on February 26, 1932 in Kingsland, Arkansas. A few years later, the family moved to Dyess Colony where Cash worked with his parents and his brothers and sisters to farm their 20 acres of land. When Cash graduated in 1950, he immediately left home. His first stop was Detroit, Michigan, where he found work in an automotive plant. Shortly after, he served his country by enlisting in the United States Air Force. Sun Records Upon his discharge from the Air Force in 1954, Cash went straight to Nashville to try and begin a career in music. While working towards his dream, he worked at a variety of jobs in order to support his new wife. Cash was selling appliances and training to be a radio announcer while making music at night with guitarist Luther Perkins and bassist Marshall Grant when he paid a visit to Sam Phillips, owner of Sun Records Studio. Cash failed to win Phillips' approval with his gospel songs but when he shifted gears and performed some songs more in line with the style that he became famous for later, Phillips was hooked. Sun released Johnny's first single in 1955. “Hey Porter” was received well by critics, but it was not a commercial success. Since then the song has become a favorite of many Johnny Cash fans. It was the next single “Cry, Cry, Cry” that helped to place Cash’s music in the homes of people all over the country. This song rose to #14 on the charts and was the first of many hits. By 1956, just two years after his discharge from the Air Force, Cash was invited to sing at the Grand Ole Opry. The Tennessee Two From the first Sun Records auditions, Marshall Grant and Luther Perkins as the Tennessee Two were an integral piece of the Johnny Cash sound. In 1960, drummer W.S. Holland came on board and the backing group became known as the Tennessee Three. In 1968, a house fire took the life of Perkins. In 1980, Grant left the group.
Over the next several years, Cash had many hit songs including “Ring of Fire,”“Don’t Take Your Gun to Town,” Folsom Prison Blues," and "Orange Blossom Special." His success took a toll on him, however, and he became addicted to narcotics. While some stories of entertainers who are addicted to drugs end in tragedy, Cash’s story has a much happier ending. By 1967, he had overcome his addiction. He married his second wife, June Carter, in 1968 and he credited her for helping him get his life back on track. Once he had put drugs out of his life, he found continued success. One of the biggest honors of his life came in 1969 when he was named Entertainer of the Year by the Country Music Association. New Audiences, New Fans In 1980, Johnny Cash was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. At only 48 years old, he was the youngest performer ever to receive this honor. Cash never tired of trying to create new music and reach a new audience. With that in mind, he helped to form The Highwaymen in 1985. This group was made up of four superstars of the music industry-- Cash, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings and Kris Kristofferson. Proving that Cash was appealing to many audiences, he was inducted into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame in 1995. There are only a few musicians with the distinction of being inducted into both this and the Country Music Hall of Fame. Johnny Cash passed away on September 12, 2003 from issues relating to diabetes. He died just four months after his beloved wife, June. They had married for 35 years.
His appeal is still as strong as it ever was and in 2005 a movie chronicling his relationship with June was a box office smash and was nominated for an Academy Award. It is certain that the life and music of Johnny Cash will continue to touch the lives of fans for years to come. Man in Black Just a few years before his death, a collector could have bought a Johnny Cash signed photo or album for less than $25. Prices were low because he had been so friendly to autograph requests for so many years. He often responded to autograph requests through the mail, sometimes penning lengthy letters to those who touched him in some way. In public, he was so friendly that many who met him considered him a friend. As age and health issues begun to close in on Cash, and he signed less, prices began to rise. After his death prices soared and there is no end in sight. In the future, his autograph values should be on a par with the post valuable in country and pop music. Today expect to pay $300 - $500 for a god signed photo or album. Handwritten lyrics are very popular with collectors who have deep pockets. Expect to pay $7500 - $10,000 for those. Tell Us About Your Johnny Cash AutographsDo you have a great story about this? Share it! What Other Visitors Have SaidClick below to see contributions from other visitors to this page...
June Carter Cash Autograph
Johnny Cash Signed November 14, 1969
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I Met Johnny Cash
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It was during his short stint in the military that he met his first wife, Vivian Liberto. It was also during this time, while stationed in Germany, that he formed his first band called the Lundsberg Barbarians.
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