Sixty-eight years ago today, Johnny Cash played his first-ever prison concert and unknowingly changed the country music world.

On January 1, 1958, Johnny Cash walked through the gates of San Quentin State Prison and performed for inmates.

This is FRESH AIR. I'm Terry Gross. Next in our series of interviews on R&B, rockabilly and early rock 'n' roll, we have my 1997 interview with Johnny Cash, one of country music's most influential ...

While the country music star is beloved for his musical talents, he also used his fame to fight for prison reform and Native American rights Alan Light "He was willing and able to be the champion of ...

Next in our series of interviews on R&B, rockabilly and early rock 'n' roll, we have my 1997 interview with Johnny Cash, one of country music's most influential performers.

Cash was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. He spoke to Fresh Air in 1997 about his career, from touring with Elvis to singing at prisons. He died in 2003.