How a Johnny Cash prison performance inspired Merle Haggard

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Sat., August 17, 2024, 22:00, UK

Country music songwriting has always seemed to be guided by similar themes. If you look at the personalities who popularized the genre over the last century, you'll notice that most have covered topics like pick-up trucks, alcohol, and American football. However, one theme that seems to have dominated country music since its inception is crime. The plight of criminals and prisoners has provided inspiration for country artists for decades, particularly in the case of Johnny Cash.

Cash rose to prominence in the 1950s and was unlike any country artist before him, distinguished by his strong image, distinctive baritone voice and deeply personal songwriting. Quite early in his career, the songwriter developed a reputation as an amphetamine addict, which inevitably got him into some trouble with the law. Although Cash never served a prison sentence, he did spend more than a few nights in local jails for a number of offenses – the vast majority of them drug-related.

These legal troubles gave rise to Cash's outlaw image, which he regularly used to his advantage. Dressing all in black and denouncing the law, the country star was the rebellious poster boy for this new generation of country music. His adoption of the outlaw image was not entirely self-serving, however, and the songwriter spent a significant portion of his career advocating for prison reform and supporting prisoners across the country.

Most famously, Cash regularly toured prisons across America, performing for the inmates. The most notable of these performances took place at San Quentin Prison in California, where Cash eventually recorded his groundbreaking live album. Johnny Cash in San QuentinHowever, he had been playing for the prison's inmates for years, including a particularly important performance on January 1, 1960. Cash gave the inmates a breathtaking performance and paved the way for many audience members to take up music themselves.

One of the spectators at San Quentin on that fateful day was Merle Haggard. The Californian had trouble with the law throughout his youth, spending his time between juvenile halls, county jails, and finally San Quentin. Haggard was incarcerated at San Quentin for attempting to escape from Bakersfield prison, where he was being held for robbing a local roadhouse. Although Haggard taught himself to play guitar at a young age, music never seemed like an obvious path for him until he experienced The Man in Black.

Haggard recalled the moment he was on stage as Cash and later told ASX TV“Well, first of all, country music wasn't like it is today. Compared to today, country music was totally frowned upon back then. So Johnny Cash coming to the place wasn't that cool.”

The country legend continued, “Before he started his show, he asked for a glass of water and pointed to one of the security guards, and this security guard was standing in the daylight chewing gum. And when Cash asked for the water, of course, everyone in the audience looked at him. And he mocked this security guard. Well, he won over the whole audience.”

After Cash's performance at San Quentin, Haggard made the decision to turn his life around. After his release from prison in 1960, the guitarist followed in Cash's footsteps, leaving his life of crime behind and instead focusing on mastering the style of country music. Of course, Haggard went on to become one of country music's biggest stars and inspired countless future artists to explore the genre on their own. So we owe more to Johnny Cash than we originally thought.