From the cotton fields of Arkansas to Sun Records at Memphis and eventually the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville.
In 1950 Cash joined the Air Force for four years. His training took him to San Antonio, Texas where he met Vivian Liberto who would become his first wife in 1954.
While in the service he honed his singing somewhat. Upon his return to the States, he traveled to San Antonio and married Vivian, together they returned to Memphis. Johnny worked by day as an appliance salesman, and took lessons at a local broadcasting school in hope of getting some kind of work in radio.
During this time he met guitarist Luther Perkins and bassist Marshall Grant, together they started playing small gigs as "Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Two". Eventually working up the nerve Cash auditioned for Sam Phillips at Sun Records, the same Sun that had just put Elvis on the map.
Phillips didn't like what he was hearing initially and Johnny returned with a couple of new songs, Hey Porter and Cry, Cry, Cry, both did reasonably well. Cash's next record, Folsom Prison Blues went to #5 and I Walk the Line went to #1.....and the rest is history as they say.
Battling all the same demons that so many performers waged war with-drugs, alcohol, and the pressures of the road Johnny Cash persevered in spite of himself.
Deemed Rockabilly in his early years...Cash always perceived himself as Country-rooted in Gospel.
Johnny seemed to be a natural crossover, into pop and not so much on the rock charts but many of rock's greats looked up to him and were inspired by the music he was making. Cash is a lot like Pabst Blue Ribbon beer....downhome and redneck but appeals to the hipsters....even today.
Cash like so many of the traditional country singers became disillusioned with the "Nashville Sound" and all the trappings of so called country radio. He was one of the few that told Nashville to piss off and he was going to make his music the way he wanted to....and he did.
Joining up with Willie, Waylon, and Kris seemed like a natural progression.....Cash was deemed an outlaw way before the advent of the HIghwaymen. It's funny my girl, Linda, said that when she and her sister played house....Johnny Cash was Linda's imaginary husband....imagine someone born in 1972 picking Johnny over many of the teen heart-throbs of the day to be her husband.....I guess she likes a man in black.
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