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Photo: Othell O. Owensby Jr / © Houston Chronicle Image 1 of / 12 Caption Close Image 2 of 12 Cash and June Carter Cash performing in Galveston in May 1986. Cash and June Carter Cash performing in Galveston in May 1986. Photo: E. JOSEPH DEERING / HOUSTON CHRONICLE Image 3 of 12 Cash, center, is flanked by a bondsman and a US Marshall as he was transferred from El Paso County Jail to the Federal Courthouse Tuesday Oct. 5, 1965. ( AP Photos) Cash, center, is flanked by a bondsman and a US Marshall as he was transferred from El Paso County Jail to the Federal Courthouse Tuesday Oct. 5, 1965. ( AP Photos) Photo: AP Image 4 of 12 Cash with June in February 1971 at the Houston Rodeo. (Darrell Davidson / Houston Chronicle) Cash with June in February 1971 at the Houston Rodeo. (Darrell Davidson / Houston Chronicle) Photo: Darrell Davidson / © Houston Chronicle Image 5 of 12 Image 6 of 12 Johnny Cash performs at Jones Country Music Park, Colmesneil, Texas, April 1, 1984. (Photo by Kirk West/Getty Images) Johnny Cash performs at Jones Country Music Park, Colmesneil, Texas, April 1, 1984. (Photo by Kirk West/Getty Images) Photo: Kirk West / Getty Images Image 7 of 12 Johnny Cash performs at Jones Country Music Park, Colmesneil, Texas, April 1, 1984. (Photo by Kirk West/Getty Images) Johnny Cash performs at Jones Country Music Park, Colmesneil, Texas, April 1, 1984. (Photo by Kirk West/Getty Images) Photo: Kirk West / Getty Images Image 8 of 12 Cash performs at the Astrodome February 16, 1992 in Houston, Texas. As an emeritus member of both the Country Music and Rock & Roll Halls of Fame and winner of the 1991 Grammy Legend Award, and with more than a hundred and fifty charted hits and over 1,500 songs recorded, Johnny Cash is the Grand Old Man of Nashville. (Photo by Paul S. Howell/Liaison) less Cash performs at the Astrodome February 16, 1992 in Houston, Texas. As an emeritus member of both the Country Music and Rock & Roll Halls of Fame and winner of the 1991 Grammy Legend Award, and with more than ... more Photo: Paul S. Howell / Getty Images Image 9 of 12 Johnny Cash (Right) and Waylon Jennings (Left) two of The Highwaymen performing at the Houston Rodeo, March 3, 1990. (Photo by Paul Howell, Houston Chronicle Staff.) Johnny Cash (Right) and Waylon Jennings (Left) two of The Highwaymen performing at the Houston Rodeo, March 3, 1990. (Photo by Paul Howell, Houston Chronicle Staff.) Photo: Paul Howell / © Houston Chronicle Image 10 of 12 Image 11 of 12 Three of The Highwaymen performing at the Houston Rodeo, March 3, 1990. (Photo by Paul Howell, Houston Chronicle Staff.) Three of The Highwaymen performing at the Houston Rodeo, March 3, 1990. (Photo by Paul Howell, Houston Chronicle Staff.) Photo: Paul Howell / © Houston Chronicle Image 12 of 12 When Johnny Cash came to Houston... 1 / 12 Back to Gallery

In the early morning hours of September 12, 2003 the world lost Johnny Cash, as the legendary country and folk hero passed onto the next realm to join his wife June Carter Cash. It was a Friday morning when the music world learned of Cash’s passing, which meant there would be plenty of happy hours beginning rather early that day. I know, because I was a pizza delivery driver at the time and got to see lots of teary faces at beer halls in Pearland.

It’s hard to find an exact figure on how many shows Johnny Cash played around these parts, but some sites have what looks to be a pretty decent rundown of his ramblings in Houston with his first appearances looking to be in the late summer and early fall of 1954. The Johnny Cash Info Center says he was first in Houston on February 5, 1956 for a private function. He returned to the area and played Galveston on April 22.

He would play a lot of things termed as “private functions” over the years in Houston for that matter.

Houston shows in 1961 (audio), 1962, and 1963 followed later. He came in 1969 to the Sam Houston Coliseum with the whole Carter Family and the Statler Brothers. You can see the flyer here.

Cash and June played a slew of RodeoHouston dates in 1971, which the Chronicle has pictures of, coming a year after Elvis Presley’s residency in the Dome. There was stand at the Houston Music Theatre in 1974 too in Sharpstown.

He would return to RodeoHouston in 1978, and then again in 1990 and 1992 as part of The Highwaymen. This March 22, 1991 solo show is packed with hits.

This is a clip of the man at Emo’s in Austin during SXSW’s 1994 festivities. You can find most of that show on YouTube in pieces. Emo’s kept the chair he used during the show in the rafters of the venue until it changed hands a few years back.