Johnny Cash Museum facts for kids
Johnny Cash Museum
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| Location | 119 3rd Ave., S., Nashville, Tennessee |
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| Founder | Bill Miller |
The Johnny Cash Museum is a special place in Nashville, Tennessee. It opened in May 2013. This museum celebrates the life and music of the famous country singer Johnny Cash. People often called him the "Man in Black." The museum has the world's biggest collection of items from Johnny Cash's life. It even has a stone wall from his old lake house! Johnny Cash's family officially approves of this museum.
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About Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash was born in 1932 in Kingsland, Arkansas. He became one of the most popular music artists ever. He wrote and sang many different kinds of songs. These included country, rockabilly, gospel, blues, and rock and roll.
He is so famous that he's in many music halls of fame. These include the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Country Music Hall of Fame. His famous nickname, "Man in Black," came from the all-black clothes he always wore when he performed.
The Museum's Story
There was an older museum for Johnny Cash called the House of Cash. It was in Hendersonville, Tennessee. This old museum closed down many years ago and became run-down.
Johnny Cash lived in a lakeside home from 1968 until he passed away. This house was in Hendersonville. Sadly, it burned down in 2007 during some repairs. Later, two friends of Johnny Cash, Shannon and Bill Miller, decided to open a new museum. They used their own collection of Johnny Cash items to start it. The new Johnny Cash Museum opened in Nashville in 2013. They even put the restored sign from the old House of Cash on display!
Visiting the Museum
The Johnny Cash Museum is in downtown Nashville. You can find it at 119 3rd Ave S. It's in a busy area called SoBro. The museum is open every day except Thanksgiving and Christmas. There is a ticket fee for visitors aged 6 and older.
What's New at the Museum
In 2016, the museum got bigger and added cool new things. Now, you can find interactive exhibits. For example, you can use technology to mix Johnny Cash's songs. You can also listen to other artists singing his music. There's even a green screen where you can take photos with Johnny Cash! The museum is easy to get around for people using wheelchairs. You can also book special tours for groups. The museum doesn't have its own parking, but there are many parking lots nearby.
What You'll See
The Johnny Cash Museum tells the story of his whole life. It starts from when he was young and even includes his time in the Air Force. You'll learn about his personal life and his amazing music career. This includes items from his famous concerts in prisons.
The exhibits are set up in order of time, showing his life as it happened. There are over 1,000 items to see! These include personal belongings, special souvenirs, and fun interactive displays.
Music Journey Exhibit
One cool exhibit is called "Progression of Sound." It shows how Johnny Cash sang in many different music styles. You can see how music was recorded over the years. This includes old LPs, 8-tracks, and CDs.
Sun Records and Friends
Another part of the museum focuses on Sun Records. This was a record company in Memphis, Tennessee. Sun Records helped start Johnny Cash's career. It also helped other famous artists like Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison, and Carl Perkins.
Besides Johnny Cash's items, you can see other cool things here. There are glasses worn by Roy Orbison. You can also see a microphone used by Elvis Presley. There's even the drum set of WS "Fluke" Holland. He was Johnny Cash's friend and drummer for 40 years! This drum set was the first full one ever used on the Grand Ole Opry stage. You can also watch videos of Johnny Cash singing with other music legends.
TV and Movie Career
There's an exhibit about Johnny Cash's TV shows and movies. You can watch clips of him hosting his own TV show. You'll also see parts of his appearances on shows like Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman and Hee Haw. The museum also has props and costumes from the movie Walk the Line. This movie was about his life. You can also see posters from his movies and shows.
Special Items on Display
Johnny Cash's family says he used to fold a dollar bill and put it through his guitar strings. This made a special sound like drums before he had a drummer. That special Martin guitar, with the dollar bill still in it, is on display!
Here are some other amazing things you can see at the museum:
- Stage costumes, including a prison jumpsuit costume he wore
- Handwritten letters and notes
- Handwritten song lyrics
- His yearbook page
- Old guitar amps
- His Air Force uniform and other items from his time in the Air Force
- Gold and platinum records (these mean his music sold a lot!)
- Many music instruments
- His school report cards
- The piano from the Cash family home
- Items from The Highwaymen, his supergroup with other famous singers
- Grammy and CMA awards he won
- A bag of cotton from his childhood home in Dyess, Arkansas
- Personal items like photos, things from his home, and his own bible
- His Birth certificate
- His Future Farmers of America card
In May 2018, Johnny Cash's first gold record was put on display. It was for his song "I Walk the Line." This record is now certified double platinum! Near the exit of the museum, you can watch the music video for "Hurt." This was Johnny Cash's cover of a popular song and his very last music video.
Awards and Praise
The Johnny Cash Museum has won many awards and been praised by travel groups. It's one of only six places in Nashville to get a AAA Gem rating. Both National Geographic and Forbes say it's one of the best travel spots.
The museum has been open for ten years and welcomes visitors from all over the world. In 2023, USA Today voted it the Best Music Museum in the US!
U.S. News & World Report's lists the museum as #5 on its "Best Things to Do in Nashville" list. Nashville Parent magazine says it's a great place for kids. It was also on TripAdvisor's lists for "Top 25 Trending U.S. Attractions" in 2017.
Conde Nast Traveler (Worldwide) calls it the #1 Must Visit Museum for Music Lovers. Forbes says it's the #1 Must See Nashville Destination. National Geographic (Worldwide) calls it the #1 Pitch Perfect Museum. USA Today says it's one of the Top 10 Best Attractions in Nashville. Even former U.S. Vice President Al Gore called it a "world-class museum."
Other media sources have also praised the museum:
- Top 5 Museums Dedicated to Pop-Rock Music (Worldwide) – Marie Claire
- Top 3 Best Things to Do in Nashville – Orbitz
- 7 Great American Vacation Spots (That Won't Bust Your Budget) – Time
- 22 Reasons You Should Visit Nashville – Huffington Post
- Top 10 Tennessee Spots for Music Lovers – Rolling Stone
- Best Culture Stop in Nashville – Money Magazine
See also
- List of music museums
