Folsom Prison Concert

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Lore & Background

Johnny Cash's connection to Folsom began in 1953 while serving in the United States Air Force Security Service, when his unit watched the film Inside the Walls of Folsom Prison. This inspired him to write "Folsom Prison Blues," which became popular among inmates who wrote requesting a performance. His first prison show occurred at Huntsville State Prison in 1957, and he performed at several others before targeting Folsom in 1968. By then, Cash's popularity had waned due to drug dependence, and his recovery is generally dated to later in 1968 or 1969. Personnel changes at Columbia Records brought Bob Johnston on board, who enthusiastically supported the prison recording idea, calling both San Quentin and Folsom; Folsom responded first. The concert was facilitated by Reverend Floyd Gressett, who counseled inmates and helped organize the event.

In Their Own Story

On January 10, 1968, Cash and June Carter checked into the El Rancho Motel in Sacramento, later joined by Carl Perkins, the Tennessee Three, the Statler Brothers, Ray Cash, Reverend Gressett, and producer Johnston. During rehearsals on January 12, California governor Ronald Reagan visited the hotel to offer encouragement. On recording day, January 13, the group met Los Angeles Times writer Robert Hilburn and photographer Jim Marshall at Folsom. MC Hugh Cherry instructed inmates not to cheer until Cash introduced himself, a moment later featured in the 2005 biopic Walk the Line. Cash opened both shows with "Folsom Prison Blues," followed by prison-themed tracks like "The Wall" and "25 Minutes to Go." He included duets with Carter and novelty songs from Everybody Loves a Nut before closing with Glen Sherley's "Greystone Chapel." The first show was deemed superior due to fatigue in the second, which only contributed two tracks: "Give My Love to Rose" and "I Got Stripes."

Reader's Guide

The album emerged after Cash recorded two shows on January 13, 1968, with a focus on inmate Glen Sherley's song "Greystone Chapel," written specifically for the occasion. The setlist balanced despair with humor, featuring songs like "Dark as a Dungeon" alongside novelty tracks such as "Dirty Old Egg-Sucking Dog." Initially, Columbia invested little in promotion, but the single "Folsom Prison Blues" charted on May 25, 1968. Following Robert F. Kennedy's assassination on June 5, some stations banned the track due to the lyric "I shot a man in Reno," prompting an edited rerelease that reached number one on the Hot Country Singles chart and top 40 on the Hot 100. By August 1968, the album had shipped over 300,000 copies, reaching gold status by October for shipping 500,000 units. It eventually hit number one on Top Country Albums and number 13 on Pop Albums, certified triple platinum in 2003 for sales exceeding 3.4 million.

Did You Know?

• There is no credible evidence that California governor Ronald Reagan visited Cash before the Folsom concert; widely-known historical records do not support such a visit.
• The line "I shot a man in Reno" remained in the performance on the single version of "Folsom Prison Blues" from the live album; it was not removed after RFK's assassination, which occurred in June 1968, after the album's
• Cash held two performances on January 13 specifically in case the first show was unsatisfactory, though only two songs from the second were used on the album.
• The period where Cash waited for his introduction by MC Hugh Cherry became the opening scene of the 2005 biopic Walk the Line.