Reference Number
ARC-0341
Level of description
collection
Title
Collection on Johnny Cash (Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum Collection)
Date
1964-1965, undated
Size
0.07 (Linear feet)
Format
Graphic materials (analog)
Container: Folder: 222
Scope and Contents
The Collection on Johnny Cash encompasses the years 1964-1965 and includes some undated materials. The collection is primarily comprised of photographs featuring Johnny Cash with musicians and members of his production team at Columbia Records. The photographs appear to be taken on the same day, with everyone holding RIAA Gold Record awards for the song "Ring of Fire." "Ring of Fire" was certified Gold on February 11, 1965. The collection also includes two handwritten letters from Johnny Cash. These letters describe his experiences signing with Columbia Records in 1958, and detail his dealings with Columbia Records producer Don Law. The items provide valuable insight into Cash's early relationship with Columbia Records and the musicians and producers he worked with on "Ring of Fire." This collection also shows the Carter Family's prominence in Cash's life before he and June Carter were married, as Maybelle, June, and Helen Carter are all featured in photographs.
Biography / Administrative History
Johnny Cash was one of the earliest signees to Sam Phillips' Sun Records back in 1955. Cash became a full-time musician after his two-sided hit, "So Doggone Lonesome"/"Folsom Prison Blues," shot to Number Four on the Billboard country chart in 1956. From Sun, he jumped to Columbia Records in 1958, where he recorded such favorites as "Ring of Fire," "Understand Your Man," "Don't Take Your Guns to Town," and "Tennessee Flat-Top Box." Cash never forgot his roots, nor did he leave hard times behind. A prototype for the black-clad rebel rocker, Cash cultivated a serious drug problem in the 1960s, which ended when he met his second wife, June Carter, whom he married in 1968.
Johnny Cash was one of the earliest signees to Sam Phillips' Sun Records back in 1955. Cash became a full-time musician after his two-sided hit, "So Doggone Lonesome"/"Folsom Prison Blues," shot to Number Four on the Billboard country chart in 1956. From Sun, he jumped to Columbia Records in 1958, where he recorded such favorites as "Ring of Fire," "Understand Your Man," "Don't Take Your Guns to Town," and "Tennessee Flat-Top Box." Cash never forgot his roots, nor did he leave hard times behind. A prototype for the black-clad rebel rocker, Cash cultivated a serious drug problem in the 1960s, which ended when he met his second wife, June Carter, whom he married in 1968.
Notes
Citation: [Identification of Item], Collection on Johnny Cash (Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum Collection), Library and Archives, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.
Processing Information: Processed by Lindsey Sprague, Intern. Completed July 10, 2017. Descriptive sources and standards used to create this inventory: DACS and local processing manual.
Access
Collection is open for research. Patrons must sign the Acknowledgment of Legal Responsibilities and Privacy Rights statement on the Researcher Registration form before using this collection. Consult the Library and Archives in advance of your visit to ensure access to these materials is available.
Use
The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, Inc. For more information, please consult the staff of the Library and Archives.
Associated Persons
Associated Subjects
Location
Library and Archives/2/Archives Storage/Rotary File Cabinet 3
Creator