On This Day in 1954, a Future Country Music Legend Signed His First Record Deal and Got a New Name

On this day (October 17) in 1954, John R. Cash and his backing band, the Tennessee Two, signed a recording contract with Sun Records. He got more than a record deal, though. Sun founder Sam Phillips suggested that he call himself Johnny Cash, and it stuck. Cash remained with Sun for four years and released several hits through the label before moving to Columbia.

Cash formed his first band, the Landsberg Barbarians, while enlisted in the Air Force and stationed in Landsberg, Germany. He received an honorable discharge in July 1954. After returning to the United States, he moved to Memphis, Tennessee, with his new wife. Not long after he arrived in the city, he met Luther Perkins and Marshall Grant. They began playing guitar and singing together in their free time.

“We started going to each other’s house at night and playing music just for the fun of it,” Cash recalled in an interview with NPR. “At one point, we were invited to play at a church. It felt good.” Before long, they toured regionally, playing venues around Memphis and the Mid-South. With some experience under their belts, they decided it was time to take the next step.

Johnny Cash Was Turned Away Several Times

Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Two didn’t just walk into Sun Records and sign a record deal. In fact, Sam Phillips initially didn’t even want to let Cash audition.

“I called Sam Phillips and asked for an audition. I believe it was two or three times I was turned down,” Cash recalled in an interview. “Finally, he said he would listen. After going back two, three, four times over a period of six months, we finally, the Tennessee Two and I, got a song called ‘Hey Porter’ recorded.”

[RELATED: 62 Years Ago, Johnny Cash Landed an Unprecedented No. 1 With a Career-Defining Album that Set Multiple Chart Records]

In June 1955, Sun Records released “Cry! Cry! Cry!” as Johnny Cash’s debut single. “Hey Porter” was on the B-side. His first No. 1, “I Walk the Line,” came a year later.
 

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