The Johnny Cash Show

Following the massive commercial success of his live prison albums, the ABC television network offered Johnny Cash his own weekly variety program. Premiering on June 7, 1969, The Johnny Cash Show was filmed at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee, then home of the Grand Ole Opry. The program ran for two seasons, totaling 58 episodes, and provided a mainstream national platform for country music at a time when the genre was still largely absent from prime-time network television. When ABC asked Cash where he wanted to film, he insisted on the Ryman. The building had no air-conditioning.

"The heat won't bother me, If the ABC guys can handle it, I can too."

he reportedly said.

The show was conceived by Bill Carruthers, who served as executive producer and director for the first season, and produced by Screen Gems. Australian-born Bill Walker served as musical director, arranger, and conductor throughout the series. Cash opened every episode with his signature greeting, "Hello, I'm Johnny Cash" , and an instrumental version of "Folsom Prison Blues" played over the opening credits.

Season One: Summer–Fall 1969 (Episodes 1–15)

The first season ran as a summer replacement for ABC's The Hollywood Palace, airing fifteen weekly episodes from June 7 through September 27, 1969.

The Premiere: Bob Dylan at the Ryman (Episode 1, June 7, 1969)

The very first episode set the tone for everything that followed. Cash opened with a medley of his biggest hits, "I Walk the Line," "Big River," "Ring of Fire," and "Orange Blossom Special" ,then handed the stage to a lineup that no other country variety show would have dared book: Joni Mitchell performing "Both Sides Now," Cajun fiddler Doug Kershaw tearing through "Diggy Diggy Lo" and "Louisiana Man," and Bob Dylan ,in one of his rare television appearances, singing "I Threw It All Away" and "Living the Blues." The episode closed with Cash and Dylan performing "Girl from the North Country" together, a duet that remains one of the most celebrated musical moments in television history.

This premiere also introduced the recurring "Ride This Train" segment, in which Cash presented short, documentary-style musical narratives about American history. In this first installment, the segment moved through prison life with "The Wall," "Greystone Chapel," and "Folsom Prison Blues."

The Regular Cast

Each week featured performances by Cash's touring ensemble: his wife June Carter Cash, the extended Carter Family (including Mother Maybelle Carter), the Statler Brothers, guitarist Carl Perkins, and the Tennessee Three. June and Johnny dueted regularly on songs like "Jackson," "If I Were a Carpenter," "It Ain't Me Babe," and "Darlin' Companion." The Statler Brothers contributed both musical performances and brief comic interludes between segments. This family-and-friends approach mirrored the structure of Cash's live concert roadshows and gave the program a warmth that set it apart from more polished network variety formats.

A Booking Policy Unlike Any Other

From the start, Cash refused to limit his guest list to traditional country acts. The first season alone featured folk artists like Gordon Lightfoot (Episode 2) and Buffy Sainte-Marie (Episode 4), pop acts like The Cowsills (Episode 4) and Evie Sands (Episode 2), rock bands like Creedence Clearwater Revival performing "Bad Moon Rising" and "Proud Mary" (Episode 15), and an extraordinary cross-genre roster that also included Linda Ronstadt (Episode 3), Jerry Reed (Episode 3), Glen Campbell (Episode 5), Merle Haggard (Episode 8), Tom T. Hall (Episode 9), Charley Pride (Episode 13), Mama Cass Elliott (Episode 14), and Roy Orbison (Episode 15).

Several episodes also featured comedians ,Fannie Flagg, Charlie Callas, Ron Carey, and Soupy Sales among them, and actors like Dan Blocker (Hoss from Bonanza, Episode 2), Eddie Albert (Episode 3), and Dale Robertson (Episode 7).

"Ride This Train" and American History

The recurring "Ride This Train" segments covered an ambitious range of American themes during this first season. Cash narrated journeys through the story of John Henry and the railroad (Episode 5), coal mining and the darkness underground (Episode 4), the Mississippi River (Episode 3), the Civil War and the Battle of the Alamo (Episodes 10 and 12), the plight of Native Americans with "As Long as the Grass Shall Grow" and "The Ballad of Ira Hayes" (Episode 6), pioneer train wrecks (Episode 2), and the Jimmie Rodgers era of early country music, including actual film footage of Rodgers (Episode 7). These segments functioned as a kind of musical education, as one author later put it, the show operated as "Country Music 101" for a national audience.

Season One Highlights

Some standout musical moments from the first fifteen episodes include Cash and Merle Haggard singing "Sing Me Back Home" together (Episode 8), Charley Pride performing "All I Have to Offer You Is Me" followed by a Hank Williams medley with Cash (Episode 13), the Rambling Jack Elliott appearance alongside Mama Cass and the Staple Singers (Episode 14), and Creedence Clearwater Revival tearing through two of their biggest hits alongside Cash and Roy Orbison on the season finale (Episode 15). The season often closed with gospel numbers performed by the full ensemble,"Daddy Sang Bass," "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot," "He Turned the Water into Wine" ,reinforcing Cash's deep connection to spiritual music.

Season Two, Part One: January–May 1970 (Episodes 16–32)

Strong summer ratings earned The Johnny Cash Show a renewal, and it returned to a regular weekly slot beginning January 21, 1970. The second season brought even more ambitious bookings and some of the show's most memorable moments.

The Guest Roster Expands

The returning season opened with Bobbie Gentry, Arlo Guthrie performing an excerpt from "Alice's Restaurant," and José Feliciano (Episode 16). Over the following months, Cash welcomed an extraordinary range of guests: the Everly Brothers (Episode 18), Kirk Douglas in conversation (Episode 18), Dusty Springfield (Episode 18), Tammy Wynette performing "Stand by Your Man" (Episode 19), Neil Diamond singing "Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show" (Episode 19), Ray Charles performing "I Can't Stop Loving You" and joining Cash for "Busted" (Episode 19), Jerry Lee Lewis doing "Whole Lotta Shakin' Going On" (Episode 20), Pete Seeger (Episode 22), Waylon Jennings (Episode 25), and Kris Kristofferson making his network television debut (Episode 30).

Cash Defies the Network: "Sunday Morning Coming Down"

One of the most frequently told stories in the history of the show involves Kristofferson's song "Sunday Morning Coming Down." Network censors instructed Cash to change the lyric "wishing, Lord, that I was stoned" to "wishing, Lord, that I was home." Cash refused. During the taping, he sang the original lyric with deliberate emphasis while looking up toward the Ryman balcony, where Kristofferson was seated. It was a defining stand for artistic integrity, and it was far from the only time Cash pushed back against the network. He also stood firm on his Christian content despite what were described as "network anxieties," and he personally insisted on booking Pete Seeger, whose anti-Vietnam War stance had made him effectively blacklisted from network television after an incident on another show.

Ray Charles, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Rock 'n' Roll Reunions

The episodes from early 1970 produced some of the most electrifying cross-genre performances in the show's run. Cash and Ray Charles performing "Busted" and "Wrinkled, Crinkled, Wadded Dollar Bill" together (Episode 19) was the meeting of two American originals. Jerry Lee Lewis brought his full intensity to "Whole Lotta Shakin' Going On" (Episode 20), and Cash's old Sun Records colleague Carl Perkins was a regular presence, performing "Blue Suede Shoes" (Episode 20) and jamming with Cash throughout the season. Roger Miller appeared in Episode 22, and Bob Hope showed up for comedy and a duet on "A Boy Named Sue" (Episode 21).

The "Ride This Train" Segments Continue

The second season's narrative segments grew even more thematic. Cash explored the story of the American lumberjack (Episode 24), the Holy Land (Episode 25), prison labor and chain gangs (Episode 29), the mining towns of the South (Episode 20), the Civil War again (Episode 44), and Native American history in a segment that included "The Talking Leaves," the Trail of Tears, and a speech delivered in character as Cherokee chief John Ross (Episode 18). These segments increasingly reflected Cash's personal convictions about social justice, faith, and the working class.

The Road to the Finale of Season Two's First Run

By spring 1970, the show had found its rhythm. Notable later episodes include a tribute to the original Carter Family (Episode 26) featuring "Bury Me Under the Weeping Tree," "Little Pal of Mine," "Keep on the Sunny Side," and "My Clinch Mountain Home." Judy Collins appeared in Episode 28, and Lynn Anderson joined Cash for "I've Been Everywhere" in Episode 29. Episode 30 paired Doug Kershaw and Rick Nelson with Cash on "Louisiana Man" and featured Kris Kristofferson performing "The Pilgrim." The first run of the second season closed with Episode 32 on May 13, 1970, which included a medley with Marty Robbins, a duet with Roy Acuff on "Wabash Cannonball," and, in a deeply personal moment — Cash singing "Uncloudy Day" with his mother, Carrie Cash.

Season Two, Part Two: September 1970–March 1971 (Episodes 33–58)

The show returned in the fall for its final stretch of 26 episodes, running from September 23, 1970 through March 31, 1971.

More Landmark Guests

The fall 1970 episodes continued the program's tradition of genre-defying bookings. Cash and Ray Charles performed together again, this time dueting on "I Walk the Line" (Episode 33). Dennis Hopper appeared in Episode 34 — fresh off the cultural earthquake of Easy Rider — for a segment that included "Going Up Going Down." Stevie Wonder joined Cash for "Get Rhythm" (Episode 40), and Joni Mitchell returned for "Girl from the North Country" (Episode 35). Tennessee Ernie Ford appeared in Episode 38, and Lorne Greene of Bonanza showed up for a western-themed segment (Episode 41). The Guess Who performed "Hand Me Down World" with Cash in Episode 37.

Derek and the Dominos at the Ryman

One of the most remarkable musical moments in the show's history occurred when Derek and the Dominos — Eric Clapton's band, touring behind their landmark Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs album — made their one and only television appearance on Episode 46 (January 6, 1971). The band performed "Matchbox" with both Cash and Carl Perkins. Bobby Whitlock later recalled the atmosphere backstage: the band arrived wired on the road, feeling a twinge of guilt — until Cash walked out and, with characteristic directness, asked the room who else was on speed. The tension broke, everyone laughed, and the cameras rolled. The resulting footage — Clapton, Cash, and Perkins standing side by side, trading grins as they tore through a Carl Perkins classic — is a priceless artifact of rock and country history colliding on national television.

The Christmas Episode and Family

Episode 45 (December 23, 1970) was a family affair. The full cast performed "Twelve Days of Christmas," and "Do What You Do Do Well" featured an expanded ensemble that included the Everly Brothers, Ike Everly (their father), Tommy Cash, Cash's parents Ray and Carrie Cash, and Roy Orbison. Cash and June performed "Turn Around" as a duet, and the episode closed with the entire cast and Carrie Cash on piano performing "Silent Night," followed by "Little Drummer Boy." It stands as one of the most intimate episodes in the series.

The Gospel Episodes

Several episodes in the final stretch were devoted almost entirely to spiritual music. Episode 47 (January 13, 1971) featured "Amazing Grace," "In the Sweet Bye and Bye," "Are We Washed in the Blood of the Lamb," and "Bringing in the Sheaves." Episode 53 (February 24, 1971) was a full gospel special, with the Blackwood Brothers, the Oak Ridge Boys, the Edwin Hawkins Singers, the Staple Singers, Stuart Hamblen, and the Reverend Billy Graham all appearing. The episode closed with "When the Saints Go Marching In" performed by the entire assembled company. A children's episode (Episode 54, March 3, 1971) included "Old Shep," "Big Rock Candy Mountain," "Boa Constrictor," and "Jesus Loves Me."

The Comedy Episode and "This Is Your Life"

Episode 51 (February 10, 1971) was dedicated to humor: "The One on the Right Is on the Left," "Everybody Loves a Nut," "Please Don't Play Red River Valley" (with June), and a finale of "May the Bird of Paradise Fly Up Your Nose" featuring an enormous ensemble including Jim Nabors, Archie Campbell, Junior Samples, Stringbean, George Lindsey, Homer & Jethro, and Ferlin Husky.

During this final season, an unusual taping took place. Cash began what he assumed was a regular episode, greeting the audience as always. Moments later, June walked on and introduced a "special guest." Ralph Edwards appeared, and the audience erupted,Cash realized he was the subject of an episode of This Is Your Life. Guests included the Georgia sheriff who had once arrested him and his grade school teacher, Ruby Cooley.

"Man in Black" and the Vietnam Talking Blues

The final episodes reflected Cash's increasingly outspoken social conscience. He performed "Man in Black" in Episode 52 (February 17, 1971), the song that would come to define his public image, alongside James Taylor, Neil Young, Linda Ronstadt, Tony Joe White, and Earl Scruggs in a massive jam on "Mama Don't Allow." Episode 56 (March 17, 1971) included "Singing in Vietnam Talking Blues," Cash's direct, first-person account of his 1969 visit to perform for troops in Vietnam.

The Final Episode (Episode 58, March 31, 1971)

The series ended as it had lived, with music, family, and faith. Cash opened with "I Walk the Line," performed three duets with June ("Darlin' Companion," "If I Were a Carpenter," "Jackson"), sang "Sunday Morning Coming Down" one more time, and closed with the Carter Family, the Statler Brothers, and the full cast on "He'll Understand and Say Well Done." It was the last episode of The Johnny Cash Show.

Cancellation and Legacy

Despite maintaining solid ratings, the show reached No. 17 in the Nielsen ratings in 1970,The Johnny Cash Show was cancelled in 1971. The decision came as part of the FCC's implementation of the Prime Time Access Rule, which eliminated a half-hour of network prime-time programming. Cash's show became one of many casualties in what is now known as the "rural purge," when ABC, CBS, and NBC systematically eliminated programs with predominantly rural or older demographics in favor of urban-focused programming. The cancellation came without warning, according to accounts from people close to the production, ABC never even gave Cash a heads-up.

In 1976, CBS briefly revived the format with Johnny Cash and Friends, a four-week replacement series. Cash also hosted annual Christmas specials on CBS from 1976 through 1985. But none of these later efforts matched the scope or cultural impact of the original 1969–1971 run.

The archive of 58 episodes remains a significant historical record. The Johnny Cash Show was the first major network program produced in Nashville, and its guest roster reads like a who's who of American music at the turn of the decade. A DVD compilation, The Best of the Johnny Cash TV Show 1969–1971, was released in 2007, hosted by Kris Kristofferson, but no complete official home media edition has been made available. Select performances and clips remain accessible on the official Johnny Cash YouTube channel.

Episode Guide

For the complete episode-by-episode breakdown ,including all guests, setlists, and "Ride This Train" segments for all 58 episodes , visit the Live Shows database.

Note

This page is under construction. More info is being collected and added on a regular base. Be sure to check back for updates.