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He was not born "Johnny Cash" - Johnny Cash was born J.R. Cash. When he joined the Air Force in 1950, he had to change his name to John R. Cash, as they wouldn't accept names composed of initials.

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He buried his beloved brother - Johnny Cash's older brother, Jack, died after suffering an accident with a table saw. Cash, who was 12, witnessed the accident, and his brother's death days afterwards. Cash then helped dig his brother's grave. His death deeply affected the musician.

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Breaking news from the Soviet Union - While serving in the US Air Force in Germany, Cash became a Morse code interceptor. Reportedly, he was the first American to hear the news about Stalin's death.

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First guitar - Cash bought his first guitar while deployed in Germany. The story goes that this was when he started writing music, including his first hit, 'Folsom Prison Blues.'

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Live in prison -

'At Folsom Prison' was the first album ever recorded in a maximum security prison. Cash went on to record live albums at other prisons, including San Quentin State Prison.

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He never went to prison - The man known for his outlaw anthems never actually served a prison sentence. But he was arrested seven times and spent a few nights in jail.

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Million Dollar Quartet - Johnny Cash participated in the epic recording session at Sun Studios in 1956, which became known as the Million Dollar Quartet. Other musicians present included Elvis Presley and Carl Perkins.

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He set a forest on fire - Cash's overheated party truck inadvertently started a fire in Las Casitas National Forest, and he almost made a bird species extinct! According to an LA Weekly article, 49 of 53 endangered California condors died in that fire.

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Bird karma -

Cash almost got killed by an ostrich. The animal hit him in the stomach, breaking five of his ribs.

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'Chicken in Black' - Johnny Cash wrote 'Chicken in Black' as an attempt to upset his record label so that they would be let him out of his contract. His strategy worked!

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Chick prank - Johnny Cash once released 500 chicks into a hotel! Cash and his band bought 500 baby chickens and let 100 of them loose for each of the five floors of the hotel.

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Muhammad Ali poem - Muhammad Ali gave Johnny Cash a poem, which inspired him to write a Gospel song. However, it was later revealed that the boxer was not the author of the poem.

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Addiction -

Johnny Cash started smoking when he was 12. He later became addicted to alcohol and amphetamines.

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Famous neighbor - Johnny Cash was neighbors with famed singer Roy Orbison. They were close friends, and even worked together on a few occasions.

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'Ring of Fire' - Johnny Cash didn't write his hit song 'Ring of Fire.' The song was actually written by his then future wife, June Carter. They were both married to different people at the time.

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Rocky marriages - Cash had troubled marriages, both with his first wife, Vivian Liberto, and later with June Carter, with whom he broke up and reconciled numerous times.

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'Walk the Line' - In 2005, Johnny Cash's biopic hit theaters. The movie starring Joaquin Phoenix as Cash and Reese Witherspoon as June Carter was nominated for five Oscars, with Witherspoon winning for Best Actress.

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Friends in high places - Former US President Jimmy Carter was June Carter's cousin. The former American leader and the couple maintained a close friendship.

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Coma - Due to health complications, Cash went into a coma for 12 days.

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He was a writer - His passion for writing was not limited to songwriting. Cash's writings also include two autobiographies and a novel, just to name a few projects.

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Country supergroup - Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, and Kris Kristofferson teamed up in 1985 to form The Highwaymen.

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Hall of Fame x 3 - Johnny Cash is the only artist to have been inducted into the Rock and Roll, Songwriter, and Country Music hall of fames.

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He was a minister - Cash was a devoted Christian. He delved deep into religious studies, and was even  awarded a degree in theology and became an ordained minister.

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Actor, presenter, entertainer -

In addition to music, Johnny Cash also starred in various movies and shows. He even had his own TV show!

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Man in Black - The Man in Black didn't always wear black. It was actually not until the '70s that his image started to have a more somber tone. Even so, he could be seen wearing colors other than black.

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He windshield-wiped his friend's ashes - Cash and country singer Faron Young were close friends. When Young died, the Cash family asked Young's son if they could sprinkle some of his ashes on their garden. But the wind blew the ashes onto Cash's windshield, so he wiped them!

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American Recordings - Producer Rick Rubin introduced Cash to a whole new generation of fans. Together, they released six albums.

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'American IV: The Man Comes Around' -

A poignant cover of 'Hurt' from Nine Inch Nails was a huge hit for Johnny Cash. The song was part of Cash's last studio album, released before he died.

See also: Greatest male country singers of all time

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