We all love a good power couple in music, and Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash were the true originals for country music. The couple showed off their amazing chemistry onstage with a 1968 duet on “Jackson” at one of Johnny’s shows. He had married June earlier that year on March 1, 1968, and he was eager to show off her talents onstage. To the tune of a rollicking groove by Johnny’s band, the pair kicked off the country classic by singing the opening verse together.
Johnny took the main vocal part in the opening verse while also providing the acoustic guitar part, and there’s nobody who can tell a tune through a song like he can. June took the second verse by herself, getting a big cheer from the crowd, and her broad Virginia accent was just perfect for the country tune. The looks the couple give each other throughout the performance are just too cute, and the big smiles on both the newlyweds’ faces say it all.
The lyrics of “Jackson” are about a husband and wife bickering about the husband’s plans to go philandering in Jackson, and the cheeky tune was the perfect format for Johnny and June to play off each other onstage. The vintage capture, which was uploaded in high definition by YouTuber ReelinInTheYears66, is a great document of the vintage Cash show. It’s rare to get such high-quality video and audio from shows filmed that far back.
Fans certainly appreciated the chance to tune in to the retro show, and added comments such as “I love their love story so much. No matter what he and June were going through they were smiling on stage and having a good time” and “June had a great voice, very overshadowed by Johnny, but she sure could sing. They sound great together. Love this song.” Johnny and June sang many duets together throughout the years, with another popular performance being their live cut of “’Cause I Love You.”
The Music Man readers might be interested to know that “Jackson” was written in 1963 by Billy Edd Wheeler and Jerry Leiber. The song was recorded the same year by Kingston Trio, Wheeler, and Flatt and Scruggs. However, it took Johnny Cash and June Carter’s duet on the tune, released on February 6, 1967, to bring the song to broader public attention.
Johnny and June (who was a member of the Carter Family country group) had met backstage at his show at the Grand Ole Opry in 1956. By the early 1960s, June began regularly touring with Johnny as a duet partner, backup singer, and entertainer. Their 1967 duet on “Jackson” hit the number two spot on the Billboard Country Singles chart and became their signature duet.
If you would like to hear more from this talented artist, you can subscribe to Johnny Cash’s YouTube Channel for more incredible music. Visit Johnny Cash’s official website to explore more about his legendary career.