ABSTRACT
This story starts back in 1965, when Johnny Cash was hotter than a twodollar pistol. He was playing everywhere from the Newport Folk Festival to the Grand Ole Opry, and was making friends with people like Bob Dylan and Peter LaFarge. He was singing the theme song from John Wayne’s new movie The Sons of Katie Elder, and was on the hit charts with “The Ballad of Ira Hayes.” His stage shows were something else: In addition to carrying the Statler Brothers and Mother Maybelle and the Carter Family, the show used a lot of mixed media. Part of it was the show’s climax, which Cash called “Ride This Train.” On it he showed a film of old railroad wrecks, hobo life, railroad yards, old stations, and the like; while this played, he sang his medley of classic train songs-“The Wreck of the Old 97,” “Casey Jones,” “Folsom Prison Blues.” And he always ended with “Orange Blossom Special,” which he sang and played on the harmonica. This last song had become so popular that he recorded it, releasing it on a single in February. It started climbing the charts, and eventually got to Number Three in the nation.
