86 Years Ago, Johnny Cash Was Born in Kingsland, Arkansas

86 years ago, on Feb. 26, 1932, John R. Cash was born in Kingsland, Ark., as one of seven children to parents Ray and Carrie Cash. By the time Cash was 12, he was writing songs, and while still in high school, Cash began performing on a local radio station.

When Cash was 18, he enlisted in the Air Force. While in training, he met Vivian Liberto. During his time in the military, Cash formed his first band, The Landsberg Barbarian. After Cash’s honorable discharge in 1954, Cash and Liberto wed. The two moved to Memphis, Tenn., where Cash sold appliances while trying to break into the music business. Cash eventually auditioned at Sun Records, initially as a solo artist. The head of Sun Records at the time, Carl Perkins, denied Cash’s request for a recording contract at the time, at least partly because Cash wanted to record gospel music.

Only a few months later, Cash returned to Sun Records studios, this time to record with his band, The Tennessee Three. His first album, Johnny Cash with His Hot and Blue Guitar was released in 1957. Although the first single, “Hey Porter,” failed to chart, Cash’s second single, “Cry! Cry! Cry!” became a Top 20 hit, beginning Cash’s career as one of the most successful artists of all time.

Cash’s first No. 1 single, “I Walk the Line,” was included on Johnny Cash with His Hot and Blue Guitar, staying on the charts for an impressive 43 weeks. Cash’s sophomore Sings the Songs That Made Him Famous also included chart-topping singles like “Ballad of a Teenage Queen” and “Guess Things Happen That Way.”

For the next ten years, Cash remained a mainstay on the charts, with hits like “Ring of Fire,” “Understand Your Man,” “Orange Blossom Special” and “The One on the Right is on The Left.” But Cash, who left Sun Records to sign with Columbia in 1958, was also battling personal demons, including a battle with a pain pill addiction, which began affecting every aspect of his life.

In 1965, Cash was arrested after causing a forest fire, in his drugged state, which burned several hundred acres. Cash, who embraced the outlaw image, was arrested at least seven times, but never served any significant jail time.

Cash and Liberto filed for divorce in 1966, when Cash’s ongoing addictions were wreaking havoc in every area of his life. The couple had four children, including singer Rosanne Cash. By the time of their divorce, Cash had already formed a friendship with June Carter, which was speculated to contribute to the devise of Cash’s marriage to Liberto.

Cash and Carter wed in 1968, only one week after Cash proposed while they were performing together in Canada. The marriage, which produced one child, John Carter Cash, did wonders for Cash, who later said he experienced a spiritual transformation, thanks in part to his wife and her family.

Throughout the next couple decades, Cash remained one of the leading artists on the charts, with hits like “Folsom Prison Blues,” “Daddy Sang Bass,” “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down,” “Man in Black,” “One Piece at a Time” and others. Cash also released dozens of successful albums, including the gold-selling Ring of Fire: The Best of Johnny Cash and I Walk the Line.

Cash’s last studio album was American IV: The Man Comes Around. The record included the single, “Hurt,” which Cash recorded with Nine Inch Nails. The song won a GRAMMY and MTV Music Award.

Cash passed away on Sept. 12, 2003, only a few months after the death of June Carter Cash.

Cash, who was a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, remains one of the most influential artists of all time. The film, I Walk the Line, was inspired by Cash’s illustrious life, and was nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture. To date, Cash is one of only a select few artists who have sold more than 90 million albums.