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Cash, Johnny (1932- ), American country music singer, known for the
sincerity of his singing and for his deep bass voice. Born in Kingsland,
Arkansas, Cash graduated from high school before working in an automobile
factory in Detroit, Michigan. In 1950 he joined the United States
Air Force, where he formed a band and published poetry in the military
newspaper Stars and Stripes. After leaving the Air Force in 1954,
Cash moved to Memphis, Tennessee, to work in the music business. In
1955 Cash made his recording debut with Sun Records, the Memphis record
label that a year before had produced the first release by American
singer Elvis Presley. Cash's first release included the successful
single "Cry, Cry, Cry." During the next two years he recorded many
of what were to become his most famous songs, including "I Walk the
Line" (1956). In 1958 he signed a contract with Columbia Records and
moved to Los Angeles. During the next few years he led a chaotic life.
He became addicted to drugs, but at the same time he developed what
was considered one of the most polished touring shows in country music
history. He also sang with American musician Bob Dylan at the Newport
Folk Festival in 1964 and recorded concept albums, which used traditional
folk songs to explore such subjects as the lives of working men and
the plight of Native Americans. In 1968 Cash married June Carter,
a member of the Carter Family, a traditional country vocal ensemble
that sang on his tours. Under Carter's influence, he gave up drugs
and gained a religious focus in his life. His most famous albums,
At Folsom Prison and At San Quentin, were released in 1968 and 1969,
respectively. At San Quentin contained his biggest pop music hit,
the novelty song "A Boy Named Sue" (1969). Cash won five Country Music
Association awards in 1969. In 1971 Cash costarred with American actor
Kirk Douglas in the motion picture A Gunfight. That same year Cash
and his wife produced Gospel Road, a documentary film about the Holy
Land. In 1975 his autobiography, Man in Black, was published, and
in 1986 his novel Man in White, about the missionary Saint Paul, appeared.
An important influence on early rock music, Cash was elected to the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992. Over the course of his career,
he won nine Grammy Awards (one in 1967, two in 1968, two in 1969,
one in 1970, one in 1986, one in 1991, and one in 1994). Three members
of his family�daughter Roseanne Cash, brother Tom Cash, and stepdaughter
Carlene Carter�also became well-known musicians.
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