Free Johnny Cash Music Downloads

Highlights of Johnny Cash’s Career

Early Years

Cash’s early career, from the mid-1950s to the mid-1960s, was marked by a number of hit singles that continue to be some of his most recognizable songs, including:

• Hey Porter
• Cry, Cry, Cry
• I Walk The Line
• Don’t Take Your Guns to Town
• Ring of Fire

Around the early 1960s, Cash began to struggle with an addiction to amphetamines and alcohol. His behavior became increasingly erratic, and his career suffered. In one incident, while under the influence of drugs, Cash allowed a fire that started in his truck to get so out of control that it burned half of nationally protected forest. He had several run-ins with the law during this period, and although he never spent a night in prison, he used press stories of his arrests to build a “hard man” image for himself, which he would later rely upon as a publicity tool.

During this period, Cash’s first marriage to Vivian Liberto ended, and shortly afterwards, he married fellow musician June Carter, of the The Carter Family. The relationship between Cash and Carter was the subject of the 2005 movie Walk the Line, starring Reese Witherspoon and Joaquin Phoenix.

Prison Reform

Johnny Cash memorialized at Madame Toussad's Museum

In 1968, Cash released the landmark album Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison, and in 1969 came the equally successful Johnny Cash at San Quentin. Prisoner rights was a favorite social issue of his, and he had been performing concerts for inmate since the 1950s. Cash took his case for prison reform to the White House in 1972, when he famously refused to play the songs then President Richard Nixon requested. Nixon requested Merle Haggard’s Okie from Muskogee and Guy Drake’s Welfare Cadillac, and Cash replaced these with two more politically liberal songs.

The Highwaymen and Beyond

Cash joined forced with his old friend Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, and Kris Kristofferson to record under the name The Highwaymen. The group released two successful albums. He also appeared in several TV shows during this period, including an episode of Columbo and the made for TV Civil War drama North and South.

Through the 1990s, Cash continued to record and perform with artists like U2 and Tom Petty. He continued to make music right up until his death in 2003.

America V: A Hundred Higways - Free Johhny Cash Music Downloads

When Cash died, he left behind about 50 unfinished songs. His producer Rick Rubin enlisted the help of many former Cash collaborators to complete some of the songs, and he released them under the title America V: A Hundred Highways in July, 2006. There are rumors that America VI will be released in 2007, but for now, LTK Music is proud to bring you these free Johnny Cash music downloads.

Follow the links below to download tracks from America V: A Hundred Highways:

• Help Me
• God’s Gonna Cut You Down
• Like the 309
• If You Could Read My Mind
• Further On Up the Road
• On The Evening Train
• I Came To Believe
• Love’s Been Good to Me
• A Legend in My Own Time
• Rose of My Heart
• Four Strong Winds
• I’m Free From the Chain Gang Now

More Johnny Cash Information

• Johnny Cash discography
• Johnny Cash official site