Happy Birthday Johnny Cash: ‘Man In Black’ Debut Performance
By Andy Kahn Feb 26, 2016 • 4:08 pm PST
Today would have been legendary American musician Johnny Cash’s 84th birthday. The groundbreaking singer-songwriter who died on September 12, 2003 at age 71, was one of the most popular and successful country performers during his long career. In honor of The Man In Black’s birthday today, here’s a look back at the song that gave him that beloved nickname.
The title track to Cash’s May 1971 studio album made its live debut on the February 17, 1971 episode of The Johnny Cash Show. During the “Johnny Cash On Campus” themed episode, Cash introduced the song, telling the audience at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, it was “very personal” and inspired in part from talks he had with Vanderbilt University students. Having finished rewriting the protest song just that morning, Cash noted the need for cue cards to help with the newly minted lyrics.
Below watch The Man In Black give his first live performance of “Man In Black”:
