Johnny Cash (February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American country singer and composer. Cash’s music, particularly those from his later career, incorporates themes of sadness, moral difficulty, and salvation.
He was well-known for his deep, calm bass-baritone voice and the distinct sound of his Tennessee accent. Three-piece backup band distinguished by train-like chugging guitar rhythms and rebelliousness. This, combined with his more solemn and humble demeanor, free jail concerts, and a signature all-black stage attire gave him the moniker “Man in Black.”
About Johnny Cash Religious Belief
Johnny Cash was raised in the Southern Baptist denomination of Christianity by his parents. As a member of the Central Baptist Church in Dyess, Arkansas, he was baptized in the Tyronza River in 1944.
A disturbed but devout Christian, Cash has been dubbed a “lens through which to view American contradictions and challenges.” On May 9, 1971, he responded to the altar call at Evangel Temple, an Assemblies of God congregation pastored by Jimmie R. Snow, with an outreach to the music industry.
Cash and his wife, June, finished a Bible course at Christian International Bible College in the mid-1970s, culminating in a pilgrimage to Israel in November 1978. He was ordained as a pastor about this time and presided at his daughter’s wedding. He frequently appeared at Billy Graham Crusades. June and Johnny sang his song “One of These Days I’m Gonna Sit Down and Talk to Paul” during a Tallahassee Crusade in 1986. During a 1989 performance in Arkansas, Johnny Cash told the audience about his commitment to the salvation of drug traffickers and alcoholics. “Family Bible” was the next song he sang.
He released several gospel recordings, as well as a spoken-word recording of the full New King James Version of the Bible. Cash declared himself to be “the biggest sinner of them all” and saw himself as a confusing and inconsistent individual. As a result, Cash is considered to have “contained multitudes” and to be “the philosopher-prince of American country music.”
Cash is credited with persuading actor and musician John Schneider to become a Christian.
