Johnny Cash at San Quentin

album by Cash

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July 19, 2026

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Johnny Cash at San Quentin is a live album by American singer-songwriter Johnny Cash, released in 1969. It was recorded at San Quentin State Prison in California, following the success of his previous live prison album, Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison. The album features performances by Cash and his band, the Tennessee Three, in front of an audience of inmates.12

The recording of Johnny Cash at San Quentin was a significant event in Cash's career, helping to reestablish him as a relevant artist and drawing attention to the conditions of prisoners in American correctional facilities. Cash was a vocal advocate for penal reform and social justice, and these live albums were a key part of that advocacy. San Quentin State Prison itself is the oldest and one of the most well-known prisons in California, opened in 1854.23

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Johnny Cash
…that album and its follow-up, Johnny Cash at San Quentin (1969), to focus attention on the living conditions of inmates in American prisons, and he became a vocal champion for penal reform and social justice. Live appearances in New York and London and his television show,“The Johnny Cash Show” (1969–71),…
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…that album and its follow-up, Johnny Cash at San Quentin (1969), to focus attention on the living conditions of inmates in American prisons, and he became a vocal champion for penal reform and social justice. Live appearances in New York and London and his television show,“The Johnny Cash Show” (1969–71),…
Read More