Man in Black

Forty three years ago today, Johnny Cash played his, now infamous, concerts in Folsom Prison in California. Cash played many concerts in prisons as he had a certain "affinity" with the prisoners. The video below is from San Quentin which he played the following year, 1969.

Cash is one of my favourite musicians and was one of the most influential of the 20th century.  His life was chronicled in Walk the Line starring Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon (who won an Oscar for her role).  It's a great, must-see movie.

He recorded the Nine Inch Nail's song "Hurt" shortly before he died.  It's a haunting, poignant and deeply moving song and in many ways an epitaph to his troubled life. It was released in 2003 shortly before he died as part of the brilliant "American Recordings" series.  He died in September 2003 just 4 months after the great love of his life, June Carter, died.  He was a true legend.