The Unique Artifacts Series: Johnny Cash Jacket, c. 1975
This classic piece of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame collection is an icon of 20th century country music. Just one year prior to the black jacket becoming a regular part of Cash’s performance repertoire, he and his wife Vivian had moved to Memphis, Tennessee, which became the home of John Cash and the Tennessee Two. With the help of coworkers and fellow guitarists Luther Monroe Perkins and Marshall Grant, Cash auditioned for Sam Phillips of Sun records. After a few tries, he signed a record deal with Sun, and released his first singles in 1955, titled “Hey Porter” and “Cry Cry Cry”. Cash immediately gained traction with hits like “Folsom Prison Blues” and the subsequent #1 Country & Western single “I Walk the Line”. In July of 1956, he was asked to perform at the Grand Ole Opry, and became a regular performer at the iconic Nashville venue.
Looking back, the cities of Memphis, Nashville, and the state of Tennessee can be credited as the birthplace of Johnny Cash’s legendary career. The jacket served as a protest against the Vietnam War and as a means of support for the poor and incarcerated, as referenced in the 1971 song, “Man In Black.” It is just one small memento of those Memphis origins, echoing through the halls of Johnny Cash’s monumental influence in the world of music.
Come check it out and more in the Memphis section of our Cities & Sounds Exhibit, located in the Ahmet Ertegun Main Exhibit Hall.
