I Am Johnny Cash: When Did the American Singer Perform in Folsom State Prison?

The C.W. channel recently aired a documentary titled I Am Johnny Cash, celebrating the American country singer-songwriter’s complicated yet illustrious life and career. This project was a part of Paramount Network’s “I Am” documentary series, whose other installments are I Am Heath Ledger, I Am Burt Reynolds, and more.

According to The Washington Post, upon Reverend Floyd Gressett’s request, Johnny Cash performed in Folsom State Prison, California, for the first time in November 1966. Reports suggest that Cash attended Gressett’s preachings at a Ventura church occasionally. After playing for Folsom’s inmates, the singer decided to return in the future because his experience was memorable. Two years later, on January 13, 1968, Johnny Cash arrived at Folsom State Prison, this time with his band, entourage, and girlfriend, June Carter.

Cash’s second visit’s purpose was to record live tapings of two shows. The Washington Post reported that his record label (Columbia Records) was initially unwilling to fund these shows. However, after they agreed, the singer taped a show in the morning and another in the afternoon. Cash and his team resided in El Rancho Motel during his second time performing in Folsom. Furthermore, a day before stepping on stage, he had a brief conversation with the then-California Governor, Ronald Reagan.

On the day of the tapings, the prison looked more gloomy than usual because there were tensions between inmates and prison guards. The latter instructed the former to stay seated during Cash’s performance, and author Robert Hilburn recalled how tense the environment was. Hilburn stated, “There were guards walking around with guns on ramps above the audience. It was tense.”

Robert Hilburn was a freelance reporter for the Los Angeles Times and attended the Folsom State Prison live tapings. In 2013, he published Cash’s biography, Folsom State Prison.

What inspired Johnny Cash to write Folsom Prison Blues?

Several inmates of Folsom State Prison believed that Johnny Cash had served jail time, probably because of his 1955 song “Folsom Prison Blues”, whose lyrics read, “But I shot a man in Reno/Just to watch him die.” However, his band’s drummer, W.S. Holland, clarified that the inspiration behind the song was the 1951 crime drama film Inside the Walls of Folsom Prison.

Johnny Cash had been to prison, but not for any serious offense. According to The Washington Post, his most serious crime was picking flowers from a stranger’s property. But, the singer constantly saw himself in his Folsom audience. Holland stated, “He realized how it could have been if the stories were true. He could’ve been out there, looking at somebody doing a show.”

The singer’s performance in Folsom State Prison was nothing short of legendary. In classic Johnny Cash fashion, he entered the stage in a black suit with a stern expression. The inmates started having the time of their lives when he began singing and strumming his guitar. Robert Hilburn, who witnessed this show, recalled, “Once the music started, you could see people were eating out of his hand.”

Owing to this performance, Johnny Cash’s career saw a steep upward spiral. Furthermore, the album At Folsom Prison sold millions of copies.

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