Johnny Cash is country music's most famous outlaw, a man who built a career around his rebellious antics on and off the stage. Cash got into a fair amount of public trouble with the law, so it's no surprise that people continue to wonder just how much of a "bad boy" the Man in Black actually was.
Did Johnny Cash get arrested and spend time in prison, or was his reputation simply the result of a carefully constructed public image?
Did Johnny Cash Go To Prison?
Cash's name is synonymous with Folsom Prison, where he recorded a live album and performed his famous single Folsom Prison Blues in front of a live audience of prison inmates and guards.
But did Cash actually spend time inside prison?
Was Johnny Cash Ever Arrested?
Johnny Cash had a history of clashing with law enforcement. He was arrested seven times for various charges, most of which involved intoxication, drugs, or actions taken while under the influence.
His arrest record includes
- Trespassing onto private property to pick flowers (Cash was under the influence)
- Smuggling prescription drugs in his guitar case from Mexico
- Public drunkenness
- Reckless driving
- Drug possession
Despite his run-ins with the law, Johnny Cash never spent more than a single night in local jails.
He was never issued a prison sentence.
Johnny Cash: a Country Rebel Finds a Cause
Cash's numerous arrests, addictions, and marital infidelities were well-known and contributed to his reputation as a rebel and country music outlaw.
After being discovered by Sam Phillips' Sun Records in 1955, Cash rocketed into fame and fortune.
Unfortunately, Cash's fame came with a price. His hard-partying lifestyle and addiction to drugs and alcohol cost Cash his first marriage and negatively affected his career. In 1965, Cash missed an entire 10-day tour, recalled his former manager, Saul Holiff. Shows were routinely canceled in the wake of his arrests.
Johnny Cash continued to fight his battles with addiction for years with the support of his second wife, June Carter Cash.
But Cash's story is ultimately one that ends in redemption, not rebelliousness.
Cash overcame his addictions and eased his hard-partying ways.
With June by his side, Johnny Cash returned to his faith and embarked on a remarkable redemption story. In 1968, Cash recorded Live at Folsom Prison. The album was a success and is credited for reviving Cash's career. That same year, the Johnny Cash Show debuted on TV, and he went on to have continued success in TV, film, and music until his death in 2003.
Johnny Cash's Fight for Prison Reform
Cash may have never spent time in prison for his crimes, but his time spent performing and talking to inmates inspired him to become a champion for prison reform.
He became an outspoken activist for prison reform, spoke to Congress and six different sitting presidents about the issue, donated his own dollars to build a prison chapel, and helped an inmate get early release and a signed record deal.
Johnny Cash's music and public persona spoke of rebellion, hopelessness, and darkness, but also about redemption, hope, and love. And these two sides to Cash—the rebellious Man in Black, arrested, addicted, and unpredictable, and the redeemed Man of God who fought his way out of the dark—connected him to the inmates he performed for.
Cash used his music to reveal the humanity of the men behind bars and his position of influence to fight for better conditions for them.
Johnny Cash may never have served hard time in prison for his crimes, but he spent plenty of time in prison trying to make life a little better for the men living out their own stories of redemption.