January 13th, 1968

Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison
courtesy of vevo/youtube
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Johnny Cash records the live album Johnny Cash At Folsom Prison in California, remaking "Folsom Prison Blues" in the process. Cash employs his usual entourage, including June Carter, The Carter Family, Carl Perkins, The Tennessee Three and The Statler Brothers.

Cash performed two shows at Folsom State Prison in Folsom, CA, a town located about 30 minutes east of the state capital, Sacramento. The resulting album consisted of fifteen tracks from the first show and two tracks from the second.

Despite little initial investment by Cash's label, Columbia Records, the album was a hit, reaching number one on the country charts and the top 15 of the national album chart. At Folsom Prison received good reviews upon its release and the ensuing popularity revitalized Cash's career, leading to the release of a second prison album, At San Quentin.

The performers rehearsed for two days, an uncommon occurrence for them, sometimes with two or more songs being rehearsed concurrently by various combinations of the musicians. One of the foci of the sessions was to learn "Greystone Chapel", a song written by inmate Glen Sherley. Sherley recorded a version of the song, which he passed on to Rev. Floyd Gressett, a Ventura, CA pastor who regularly visited inmates at Folsom, via the prison's recreation director.

Johnny Cash at Folsom
courtesy of vevo/youtube
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Cash decided to hold two performances on January 13, one at 9:40 AM and one at 12:40 PM, in case the first performance was unsatisfactory. Carl Perkins first took the stage to perform "Blue Suede Shoes" and was followed by the Statler Brothers who performed "Flowers on the Wall" and "This Old House." After MC Hugh Cherry returned to the stage, asking inmates not to cheer for Cash until he introduced himself, Cash opened both shows with "Folsom Prison Blues" following many songs about prison life and despair and closing both shows with Sherley's tune.

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The album release of At Folsom Prison was prepared in four months. Despite the recent success of "Rosanna's Going Wild", a Cash single released just before the Folsom concerts that reached number two on the country charts, Columbia initially invested little in the album or its single "Folsom Prison Blues". This was due partially to Columbia's efforts to promote pop stars instead of country artists.

Nevertheless, the single charted on the Billboard Hot 100 on May 25, 1968; it also hit the country charts a week later.The single suffered a setback, however, when Sirhan Sirhan assassinated Senator Robert F. Kennedy on June 5, 1968. Radio stations ceased playing the single due to the macabre line: "I shot a man in Reno/Just to watch him die".

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Reeling in the success prior to the assassination, Columbia demanded that Johnston remix the single with the line removed. Despite protests from Cash, the single was edited and re-released. The new version became a success, hitting number one on the country charts and the top forty on the national charts.

The album was re-released with three additional tracks in 1999 and as a two cd, one dvd set in 2008. This so-called "Legacy Edition" contained both concerts uncut and remastered. The original release was certified three times Platinum on March 27, 2003 by the Recording Industry Association of America for US sales exceeding three million.

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    2012

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    2006

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    1996

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    1995

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    1994

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    1992

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    1981

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    #1 On This Date

    SINGLES

    2007 – Brad Paisley – “She’s Everything

    2001 – Tim McGraw – “My Next Thirty Years

    1996 – Faith Hill – “It Matters To Me

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    1979 – John Conlee – “Lady Lay Down

    1973 – Ray Price – “She’s Got To Be A Saint

    1968 – Bill Anderson & Jan Howard – “For Loving You

    1958 – Jerry Lee Lewis – “Great Balls Of Fire

    1951 – Hank Snow – “I’m Movin’ On

    1945 – Tex Ritter – “I’m Wastin’ My Tears On You

     

    ALBUMS

    2007 – Carrie Underwood – Some Hearts

    2001 – Tim McGraw – Greatest Hits

    1996 – Garth Brooks – Fresh Horses

    1990 – Randy Travis – No Holdin’ Back

    1979 – Willie Nelson – Willie and Family Live

    1973 – Freddie Hart – Got The All Overs For You

    1968 – Eddy Arnold – Turn The World Around

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