Saturday, January 13, 2018

Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison -- January 13, 2018

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"For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me."  (Matthew 35:36)

Fifty years ago today, on 13-January-1968, Johnny Cash and his band visited Folsom Prison in California and recorded one of the greatest live albums.

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When Cash was in the Air Force, he saw the 1951 film Inside the Walls of Folsom Prison, directed by Crane Wilbur. He was inspired to write "Folsom Prison Blues," which combined two great genres of folk song, railroad songs and prison songs.  He recorded it for Sun Records in 1955 and had a hit.

After his career took a dive because of drug use, Cash cleaned up and made a comeback.  In 1968, he played two shows at the prison.  The album was a hit.

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In 2008, Bestor Cram and Michael Streissguth produced a documentary about the recording.


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