Artist:Johnny Cash
Song:Ring Of Fire
Album:The Essential Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash was an icon of country music but his music frequently crossed over to rock. The 1963 hit Ring Of Fire reestablished him on the charts after several quiet years. He was born Feb. 26, 1932 in Kingsland, AR. By age 12 he had started writing songs. He taught himself to play guitar while in the Air Force during the Korean War. He moved to Memphis with his wife Vivian after leaving the service in 1954. Eventually he signed with Sun Records in 1955 after auditioning for Sam Phillips. His 1956 hit I Walk The Line was a #1 country hit and crossed over to the pop charts. He left Sun for Columbia in 1958 because Phillips wouldn't increase his royalties and Phillips wouldn't let him record a gospel album. He continued to have hits but by 1961, his touring schedule was starting to get to him and he became addicted to amphetamines. He had left Vivian and moved to New York. But then he met June Carter of the Carter Family and she turned him around. June wrote Ring Of Fire when she was falling in love with Cash. It was originally recorded by he sister Anita but it flopped. Cash said the idea for the mariachi horns came to him in a dream. The song was a #1 country hit and reestablished him on the charts. But he was still having drug issues and was arrested for drug smuggling in 1965. Vivian divorced him in 1966 and Cash moved to Nashville. June straightened him out and they were married in 1968. And his hit A Boy Named Sue topped the charts. This 2CD comp mostly covers his 1955-70 hits. Of course Johnny Cash also appeared in films and had his own TV variety show in the late 60s. He's an icon of modern music and he died on Sept. 12, 2003 at age 71. Here's Johnny Cash performing Ring Of Fire on the Grand Ole Opry 1968.
No comments:
Post a Comment