1. Johnny Cash At Folsom State Prison
Could anything else really have topped this list? Perhaps the later performance at San Quentin, granted, but by then they knew just what to expect. Since Cash had first performed the song 'Folsom Prison Blues' in 1955 he'd been interested in performing at a prison. In 1967 this idea was reintroduced formally after a change in management at Columbia Records and on January 13, 1968. Hoping the stunt would lead to a more commercially successful kick start for his career, Cash performed two sets at Folsom Prison. Ironically, although the label gave him their backing, they didn't support a full commercial release so the production quality of the material suffered as a result. Despite popular belief, however, Folsom Prison was not the first prison in which Cash had ever performed. Having seen a documentary film while serving with the Army in 1953, he'd been inspired to write a song which he believed covered life at Folsom. The resulting song led to invitations from prisons to have Cash perform and he gave his first performance behind bars at Huntsville State Prison in 1957. While Cash called both Folsom and San Quentin State Prison at this time, it was Folsom who were first to respond and therefore booked. Because of the success of the performance at Folsom there was no difficulty convincing Columbia to produce another album from San Quentin and this became the more well known release in 1969. The reason this performance remains the most well known is because the production values were significantly improved and therefore the tracks including the song 'A Boy Named Sue' were regularly put into airplay rotation. While it's perhaps less common than you'd think for an international touring act to stop off at a correctional institution, quite a lot of bands have performed in these and similar locations since, The Cramps performed at Napa State Mental Institution in 1978. More recently Glen Campbell performed a few sets in a jail in Arizona (Maricopa County's Tent City) although we're not sure that this can be counted as Campbell himself was an inmate for 10 days. Just when you taught that the incarnation for your crimes was punishment enough. Black Label Society front-man Zack Wylde has also spent his share of time behind bars in various countries t00 performing as part of an anti-drugs and bullying campaign at HMP Stocken Prison in Stretton, Leicestershire, England as well as in Singapore.