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

On 17 October 1954, John R. Cash and his backing band, the Tennessee Two, signed with Sun Records. The deal also brought a lasting change: label founder Sam Phillips suggested the name Johnny Cash. It marked the start of Cash’s recording career with Sun, where he released several hits before moving to Columbia.

After returning from Air Force service in Germany and settling in Memphis with his wife, Cash began playing with guitarist Luther Perkins and bassist Marshall Grant. They performed locally and toured around Memphis and the Mid-South, but Phillips initially turned down Cash’s audition requests several times over six months. Sun released “Cry! Cry! Cry!” as his debut single in June 1955, with “Hey Porter” on the B-side; “I Walk the Line” became his first No. 1 the following year.