Today’s DOTD - Drink Of The Day - is a Trainspotter Cocktail inspired by Johnny Cash’s famous Folsom Prison concert, held on this day in 1968, and of course, the source of one of the greatest live albums of all time, Johnny Cash At Folsom Prison.
At a time when the fascists are rampaging through our federal government, it’s always good to remember Johnny Cash & his family’s famous anti-fascist stance, with his support for the downtrodden, his empathy for prisoners, and his broader opposition to oppressive systems. He even performed for diverse audiences and challenged mainstream conservative politics of his time, reflecting the deep-seated American ideals of freedom and fairness.
Cash’s first prison performance was at San Quentin State Prison in 1958. As W.S. “Fluke” Holland, Johnny Cash’s longtime drummer, once notably remarked, “One thing he liked about playing prisons - If he did something the audience didn’t like they couldn’t leave.”
Cash did enjoy his captive, but appreciative, prison audiences - and he had a lot in common with many of them. As Cash’s career began to flourish, he also began to drink heavily, along with becoming addicted to amphetamines & barbiturates. Cash also started to get in trouble with the law, landing in jail seven times for minor misdemeanors.
Cash also got some songs out of his jail stays, writing Starkville City Jail after trespassing on private property late at night to pick flowers. He was last arrested in 1967 when, after a car accident, police found he was carrying illicit prescription pills. Sheriff Ralph Jones gave him a long talk and warned him about the danger of his behavior and wasted potential. Cash credited that experience with helping him turn his life around.
By 1967, Cash’s career needed some revitalizing - which is when he decided to record a live prison concert album. Record company executives thought he was nuts and it took a management shake up at Columbia Records to make it happen. But of course, it did happen.
On January 13, 1968 Johnny Cash recorded two shows in a packed cafeteria at Folsom State Prison. The Man in Black walked up to the microphone and started the concert with those famous words: “Hello, I’m Johnny Cash.” The crowd went wild. His first song, of course, was Folsom Prison Blues. He released two live prison albums, first Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison, followed by 1969’s Johnny Cash at San Quentin. These were huge hits and in 1969, Cash even eclipsed the Beatles by selling 6.5 million albums.
So, you might ask, what does the Drink Of The Day, a Trainspotter Cocktail, have to do with Johnny Cash? If you’re askin’ that, clearly, you don’t know your Johnny Cash songs. In the song Folsom Prison Blues, the very first lines Johnny sings are, “I hear the train a-comin’; its rolling ‘round the bend. And I ain’t seen the sunshine since I don’t know when…”
Also, it is Chris Lavoie’s birthday today. So, give him some social media love too!
Ingredients
Here’s what you’re going to need for this drink:
