The Man in Black Heads to Prison

On this day in 1968, backed by June Carter, Carl Perkins and the Tennessee Three, Johnny Cash performed two shows at Folsom State Prison in California. It became Cash’s first live album, released later that same year.

First a little background. Never serving hard time himself, Cash had an affinity for the downtrodden. After the release of the song “Folsom Prison Blues” in 1955, he began receiving letters from inmates around the country asking him to play. “Folsom Prison Blues” is one of Cash’s signature songs, and has one of the most iconic lines in country music history; “But I shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die.”

The two shows took place at 9:40 AM and at 12:40 PM closing both shows with the song, “Greystone Chapel,” written by Folsom inmate Glen Sherley. Sherley had recorded the song and gifted a copy to prison Chaplain, Rev. Floyd Gressett, Pastor of the Avenue Community Church in Ventura, where Cash frequented for services. Rev. Gressett gave Johnny the recording on the day before the shows, and Cash insisted they play it live.

During the live performances, many of the inmates were reluctant to respond too raucously. They feared reprisals from the guards if they cheered too loud during songs. Cash even told the crowd, “I just wanted to tell you that this show is being recorded for an album released on Columbia Records, so you can’t say ‘hell’ or ‘shit’ or anything like that.”

Not only were the concerts an act of compassion for the inmates, but also a ploy to coax from Cash another album when his recent drug use had stymied his record production. The recording of the show was simple - they put a microphone up there. That was it. It was pretty simple. But the simplicity caught the moment. There were no frills. It was basic. And that struck a chord with people. And his words were honest. There was no complex poetry.

The album became one of the biggest-selling country albums of all time and grew Cash’s popularity. He became somewhat of a spokesman for the prison population. And he spoke out on a lot of occasions on behalf of the prisoners, because it’s just the way he felt about these people.