Most of us can sing every word to “Ring of Fire” or “Walk the Line”, but do you really know the Man in Black? Here are ten facts you may not know about the legend, Johnny Cash.
1. Johnny Cash is not his real name.
Rumor has it that his parents could not decide on what to name him— stuck between the name “John” and “Ray”. He was born to the name J.R. Cash. It was not until he joined the Air Force in 1950 that he started going by the name “John R. Cash”.
2. He helped dig his brother’s grave.
His older brother, Jack, was killed at the age of 14. Jack was mangled by a saw while he was cutting wood for his family. According to family members, Johnny Cash went to the gravesite early with a shovel, and helped the worker’s dig Jack’s grave.
3. “Hello, I’m Johnny Cash”
He started every concert off with the same line: “Hello, I’m Johnny Cash”.
4. The “Man in Black” started due to him wearing a black t-shirt.
Johnny Cash and his band, the Tennessee Two, wore black t-shirts (their only matching attire) to their first public performance. The name “Man in Black” stuck with him ever since.
5. Cash was arrested seven times.
He spent several nights in jail, all for different incidents, but he was never sent to prison. After being arrested in Starkville, Mississippi, he broke his toe trying to kick out the bars of his cell.
6. Waldo the Ostrich.
He was once attacked by his pet ostrich, Waldo. The attack left Cash with five broken ribs and internal bleeding.
7. Cash and his band constantly stirred-up trouble and pulled pranks.
Cash and his band were known for pulling pranks on the hotels they stayed in. They once bought 500 baby chickens and let 100 loose on each floor of the hotel. Another time, they put cherry bombs down the toilet, which destroyed the plumbing system.
8. Johnny Dollar
While in the Air Force, Johnny cash wrote short stories under the name “Johnny Dollar”. He later wrote the novel Man in White, which is about apostle Paul, and two autobiographies.
9. Cash was sued by the US for igniting a forest fire.
An oil leak on Jesse James, his camper, caused a significant wild fire in the Los Padres National Wildlife Refuge. The fire killed almost every endangered condor in the park.
10. Johnny Cash was a proud Christian.
After remarrying June Carter, Cash rededicated his life to Christ. He then spent two and a half years studying to receive a degree in theology and ministry. He turned his life of drug abuse into a life for God, and became a minister. He was encouraged by Reverend Billy Graham, who was also a family friend. In an interview after June Carter died, Cash made the statement “I figured if God forgave me, I better forgive myself, too.”
