"Johnny Cash with His Hot and Blue Guitar!" is the debut studio album by American singer Johnny Cash, released on October 11, 1957. This landmark album features four of Cash's hit singles: "I Walk the Line," "Cry! Cry! Cry!," "So Doggone Lonesome," and "Folsom Prison Blues."
The album has been reissued multiple times, starting with an expanded edition on July 23, 2002, by Varèse Vintage, which included five bonus tracks, three of which were alternate versions of songs from the original LP. In 2012, it was included in the Johnny Cash: The Complete Columbia Album Collection box set, featuring 16 additional non-album tracks from his time at Sun Records. To mark the 60th anniversary of its original release, the album was remastered in 2017 under the title Johnny Cash with His Hot and Blue Guitar! (Definitive Expanded Remastered Edition). In 2022, Sun Records released a remastered edition that retained the original track listing, enhancing the sound to replicate the studio recording experience.
Johnny Cash initially auditioned for Sun Records in 1955, but his presentation as a gospel singer did not resonate with founder Sam Phillips, who encouraged him to adopt a more commercial sound. Cash returned with "Hey Porter!" and "Cry! Cry! Cry!," leading to his first single on the label. Accompanied by Luther Perkins on guitar and Marshall Grant on bass—known as "The Tennessee Two"—Cash began to carve out his distinctive style.
"Cry! Cry! Cry!" became a commercial success, charting at #14 on the country charts, while "Folsom Prison Blues" reached the Top Five in early 1956. His most successful single, "I Walk the Line," topped the country charts for six weeks and also crossed over into the pop Top 20, solidifying Cash's status as a prominent figure in American music.
This album not only marked the beginning of Cash's legendary career but also helped establish the sound and style that would define country music in the years to come.
