The Boomer REport - Music Fun Facts

Johnny Cash - 10 Fun Facts

  1. He wasn’t born “Johnny” – Cash was born J.R. Cash in Kingsland, Arkansas. The military wouldn’t accept initials as a first name, so he adopted "John R. Cash."
  2. He bought his first guitar for $5 – While stationed in Germany with the U.S. Air Force, he learned to play guitar and wrote Folsom Prison Blues after watching a prison documentary.
  3. He was the first American to hear Stalin had died – As a military radio intercept operator, he decoded the Soviet message reporting the death of Joseph Stalin in 1953.
  4. He recorded a concept album about Native Americans – 1964’s Bitter Tears addressed mistreatment of Native Americans, which was rare for a mainstream artist in that era.
  5. He started a forest fire – While camping in California, Cash’s truck caught fire, which led to a blaze that burned over 500 acres and killed 49 endangered condors. He was fined and reportedly said, “I don’t care about your damn yellow buzzards.”
  6. He was almost cast in The A-Team – Cash was considered for the role of Hannibal in The A-Team, but producers thought he was “too serious” for the part.
  7. He was nearly killed by an Ostrich – While trying to wrangle animals on his farm in Tennessee, an angry ostrich attacked him. Cash survived, but suffered internal injuries and broken ribs.
  8. He was close friends with Billy Graham – Cash often performed at Graham's crusades and credited him with strengthening his Christian faith.
  9. He never served time in prison – Despite his outlaw image and many arrests (mostly for drugs), Cash never actually served a prison sentence, just a few overnights in jail.
  10. He was the only person ever inducted into three major Halls of Fame – Country Music, Rock and Roll, and Gospel Music Halls of Fame.