# did Johnny Cash do time? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 11, 1999, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-johnny-cash-do-time/5320 "1999-12-11T23:07:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![RTA](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b4bc9f/32.png) [@RTA](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTA)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 1999, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-johnny-cash-do-time/5320/1 "1999-12-11T23:07:00Z")
It’s a simple question which I would generally say “of course he did” to. All I ever heard was that he acknowledged a dark past, and adopting the longtime persona of the Man In Black and all. One man’s struggle to overcome his criminal past, etc. Then comes the actual argument of “did he or didn’t he”. And “are you sure you aren’t confusing him with Merle Haggard (who did time at San Quentin)” … So what’s the story? Did he, and if he did then where, for what, and for how long? ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 1999, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-johnny-cash-do-time/5320/2 "1999-12-11T23:15:00Z")
Johnny Cash has never done time (though he has been arrested a few times). Merle Haggard, on the other hand, was in San Quentin for a few years. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 1999, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-johnny-cash-do-time/5320/3 "1999-12-11T23:16:00Z")
Johnny Cash was arrested in '65 for narcotics but apparently got off. In '66, he spent a night in jail on a disorderly conduct charge. That’s about it as far as jail time goes. He’s battled on and off throughout his career with drug & alcohol abuse. He was born into a poor family and almost starved to death as a child. A rough life, indeed. He’s in poor health right now, in and out of hospitals. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 1999, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-johnny-cash-do-time/5320/4 "1999-12-11T23:16:00Z")
I had thought that the only “time” he has done was one night in a drunk tank coming off some mixture of uppers and downers and booze (in the midst of a hectic tour). I thought that Cecil covered this, but I didn’t find it in the archives. * * * Tom~ ---
**Author:** ![Ursa\_Major](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/a88e57/32.png) [@Ursa\_Major](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ursa_Major)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 1999, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-johnny-cash-do-time/5320/5 "1999-12-11T23:47:00Z")
Tom’s right. In his autobiography, “Cash”, Johnny says he was locked up for the night once, “for his own good”, and that’s the only “time” he’s ever done. PS-I’ve asked before, but I’ll ask again: If he “shot a man in Reno (Nevada) just to watch him die” why did he end up in Folsom Prison (California)? ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 1999, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-johnny-cash-do-time/5320/6 "1999-12-12T00:09:00Z")
And why does the “lonesome whistle” blow on a train going past Folsom Prison near Sacramento, California that is headed to San Antonio? And how does he know which train is which? ---
**Author:** ![jab1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ee7513/32.png) [@jab1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jab1)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 1999, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-johnny-cash-do-time/5320/7 "1999-12-12T01:25:00Z")
I’ll bet you guys look for movie mistakes, too. 🙂 * * * \>\< DARWIN \> \_\_ **L\_\_\_L** ---
**Author:** ![dwtno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@dwtno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwtno)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 1999, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-johnny-cash-do-time/5320/8 "1999-12-12T04:06:00Z")
Another question: Why does Johnny Cash dress in black? IIRC he refuses to explain this fashion decision. Others have mentioned some sort of mysterious pledge he apparantly made. Who has the Straight Dope ™ on this one? ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 1999, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-johnny-cash-do-time/5320/9 "1999-12-12T04:11:00Z")
Have you seen him lately? Doesn’t look well. Shy-Drager (similar to Parkinson’s). ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_Bowe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df788c/32.png) [@Doug\_Bowe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_Bowe)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 1999, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-johnny-cash-do-time/5320/10 "1999-12-12T06:03:00Z")
Johnny Cash explained why he dressed in black in a song called “Man In Black.” Columbia Records released back during the time he had a TV show. ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 1999, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-johnny-cash-do-time/5320/11 "1999-12-12T07:10:00Z")
I really don’t know about Johnny Cash’s history. But there is a distinct difference between being in lock up and doing time. Doing time is serving out a sentence and lock up is temporary confinement until a preliminary judicial disposition is made. I’ve done both. I hope this doesn’t make me sound like a bandit out of the wild, 'cause I’m not. Regards, beatle ---
**Author:** ![Nickrz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bbce88/32.png) [@Nickrz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nickrz)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 1999, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-johnny-cash-do-time/5320/12 "1999-12-13T03:30:00Z")
JC originally began dressing in black to protest the war in Vietnam. ---
**Author:** ![NickyLarson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b2d939/32.png) [@NickyLarson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NickyLarson)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 1999, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-johnny-cash-do-time/5320/13 "1999-12-13T03:45:00Z")
BobT–I’m less concerned about the train whistles then I am about the fact that he “shot a man in Reno”, Nevada, yet is doing time in a California state prison. ---
**Author:** ![Mojo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Mojo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mojo)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 1999, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-johnny-cash-do-time/5320/14 "1999-12-13T04:12:00Z")
According to Johnny Cash, he spent the night in Starkville Co. jail for picking daisies. At least that’s how he explained it to the residents of Folsom. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 1999, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-johnny-cash-do-time/5320/15 "1999-12-13T05:14:00Z")
## JC originally began dressing in black to protest the war in Vietnam. —Nickrz That’s what I undersood too. He also had a pretty good TV show which suffered some because of his “leftie” views. He even had some hippie acts on the show. Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 1999, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-johnny-cash-do-time/5320/16 "1999-12-13T05:15:00Z")
## JC originally began dressing in black to protest the war in Vietnam. —Nickrz That’s what I undersood too. He also had a pretty good TV show which suffered some because of his “leftie” views. He even had some hippie acts on the show. Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 1999, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-johnny-cash-do-time/5320/17 "1999-12-13T05:19:00Z")
[Man In Black lyrics](http://www.toptown.com/hp/66/maninblack.htm) Explains it all. ---
**Author:** ![Sweet\_Basil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4bbf92/32.png) [@Sweet\_Basil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sweet_Basil)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 1999, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-johnny-cash-do-time/5320/18 "1999-12-14T16:02:00Z")
Perhaps what he said was “I shot a man in RENAL”. That would allow him to be incarcerated in California… Sweet Basil