Johnny Cash
Vinyl Record Memories

My best memories of the Johnny Cash albums are the ones I listened to with friends when I was stationed in the Philippines from '64-'66, and again from '68-'70.

I had some pretty good buddies who listened to mostly country music, including Johnny, Waylon Jennings, Merle Haggard and others. A big favorite was the 1968 "At Folsom Prison" album you see here. I still have the original album I purchased new.

We would get together about every 10 days and listen to some great vinyl records on some really good stereo equipment. At the time very good stereo equipment was a Sansui 5000A 180W amp, Sansui SP 2000 speakers, a Dual 1219 turn table and an Akai 360D reel to reel tape deck. Some of that equipment I still have.

Enjoy these songs from the 1969 "Live At San Quentin" album and continue below with more Johnny Cash vinyl record memories including his time with June Carter Cash and their death within months of each other.

The four songs include, I walk The Line, Folsom Prison, San Quentin & He Turned The Water into Wine. 

The album was certified gold on August 12, 1969, platinum and double platinum on November 21, 1986, and triple platinum on March 27, 2003, by the RIAA.

His first single at Sun Records in 1955, "Cry Cry Cry" was backed with "Hey Porter," a song he wrote while serving in the Air Force. The single met with reasonable success on the country hit parade.

In 1956 Cash recorded his first number one single, I Walk The Line, and according to the Johnny Cash Biography, became the first Sun Artist to release a Long-playing album in 1957.

But it was in 1956 that something unusual happened at the Sun recording studio.

It was December 4th and Elvis came by to pay a social visit to studio owner, Sam Phillips. Carl Perkins was in the studio cutting new tracks with Jerry Lee Lewis backing him on the piano.

Cash was also in the studio and the four started an impromptu jam session. Sam left the tapes running and the recordings survived and have since been released under what will always been known as the Million Dollar Quartet.

In 1968 he married June Carter, an established country singer. They continued to work together and tour for 35 years, until June Carter died in 2003.

Carter co-wrote one of his biggest hits, Ring of Fire and they won two Grammy awards for their duets.

Johnny Cash died on September 12, 2003, less than four months after the death of his wife.