This 1970 portrait illustration by Herb Davidson captures Johnny Cash at one of the defining points of his career. Just a year earlier, At San Quentin had reached No. 1 on the Billboard album chart, while the live recording of “A Boy Named Sue” became a crossover hit, reaching No. 2 on the Hot 100.
By 1970, Cash was no longer simply a country star. The Johnny Cash Show had put him in front of a national television audience, and Hello, I’m Johnny Cash reached No. 6 on the Billboard 200. Davidson’s tightly rendered portrait fits that moment well – serious, weathered and immediately recognizable, with the dark clothing and stark lighting already reinforcing the image that would become inseparable from “The Man in Black.”
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