Johnny was born into a family of sharecroppers. They were very poor, and Cash claims that he almost died of starvation as a child. Cash was raised on the hillbilly sounds native to his home town, and he was performing songs on local radio by the age of twelve.

In 1955 he signed with Sun Records. "Folsom Prison Blues," "I Walk the Line," "Guess Things Happen That Way," and other hits quickly established Cash on both pop and country charts, and soon he was one of the most popular artists in the country.

Unfortunately, he became addicted to drugs and alcohol. In 1965, a violent outburst in Nashville had him banned from the Grand Old Opry. His addictions also caused the break-up of his marriage to Vivian Libreto.

However, in the late 1960s Cash discovered God and met his future wife, June Carter, who offered him support and inspiration. In 1969, he won two Grammy awards for Johnny Cash Live at Folsom Prison. Cash also presented his own variety program on ABC for 3 years. In 1991 he was presented with a Grammy Legend Award and, in 1992, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (he was already a member of the Country Music and Rockabilly Halls). He collaborated with U2 on their 1993 album Zooropa. His 1994 album, American Recordings earned him a Grammy for Best Contemporary Folk Album. He was also invited to appear at rock festival Lollapalooza.