album · July 21, 1981

The Rough Cut King of Country Music

Johnny Cash

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Sun RecordsSee this day

countrysinger-songwriter

A collection of previously unreleased tracks from the Sun Records era, "The Rough Cut King of Country Music" offers a raw glimpse into Cash's early recordings. These tracks showcase his signature style before widespread fame.

• The album was released in 1981, nearly 20 years after the recordings were made at Sun Studio in Memphis.
• Sun Records was the label that first signed Cash in 1954, releasing his earliest hits like "I Walk the Line."
• Many of the tracks on this album feature a more unpolished, energetic sound compared to Cash's later, more produced recordings.

Johnny Cash was an iconic country singer-songwriter from Arkansas, best known for his deep voice and songs about outlaws and the working class. In 1981, he was still a major force in country music, though he had recently moved from Columbia Records to Mercury Records.