Johnny Cash and Jimi Hendrix Had 1 Thing in Common in Their Music Careers

Johnny Cash established himself as a country music superstar early in his career. He later formed a close friendship with Bob Dylan and welcomed artists from other genres to his TV show. Jimi Hendrix wasn’t one of them, and for all their differences, Cash and Hendrix had one thing in common in their music careers.

Johnny Cash and Jimi Hendrix had many differences in their personal lives

Before we point out what they had in common, we need to explore the differences between Cash and Hendrix.

The Man in Black, born in 1932, grew up in rural Arkansas during the Great Depression and worked on his family’s cotton farm as a child. Hendrix was born in Seattle in 1942 and grew up in and around the city. 

Cash and Hendrix played different musical styles when they went pro, of course. Cash penned or performed dozens of country hits. He played an acoustic guitar almost exclusively. Hendrix put himself at the forefront of the psychedelic rock movement and left his mark as a trendsetter with his guitar tones. The stoic Man in Black was a far cry from the flamboyant Hendrix.

They played different music, but Cash and Hendrix had one thing in common about their music careers.

Cash and Hendrix formed their first bands in the military

They started their careers in different eras and found fame with different styles, but Cash and Hendrix had one thing in common regarding their music careers — they both started in the military.

Cash had two awful jobs that were somehow worse than picking cotton in the blazing Arkansas sun. He enlisted in the Air Force in 1950 when those two jobs didn’t pan out. Cash played guitar during the downtimes as a radio operator and formed his first band, the Barbarians, while enlisted.

Like Cash, Hendrix picked the military over a visible dead-end future. When the police apprehended him for some petty crimes, a judge let Hendrix pick his path — two years in detention or join the Army. Hendrix chose the latter. Just like Cash, Hendrix formed his first band, the Casuals, while still in uniform.

The pair formed their first bands in the military, but that’s not the only thing Cash and Hendrix have in common. They also share a less savory trait — both endured tragic deaths when they were young. 

Much of Hendrix’s childhood was drama-filled, and one of the worst moments came when his mother died at 32 years old. Cash’s older brother was nearly cut in half by a table saw in a horrific accident. He survived only to die shortly after, a tragic moment in which Cash found inspiration he channeled for the rest of his life.

The Man in Black accidentally discovered a recording trick the ‘Are You Experienced?’ singer used

Cash had a happy accident while listening to some recordings he and the Barbarians made. He inserted the tape the wrong way, and everything played backward when pressed play. The sounds preceded the notes being played, also known as backmasking.

He accidentally discovered a psychedelic music trick, and Hendrix, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and others used it in their music starting in the 1960s. Cash’s mistake made its way into the melody for “I Walk the Line,” but he otherwise played his tunes forward. 

Even though they had different backgrounds and played different styles of music, forming bands on military bases is one thing Johnny Cash and Jimi Hendrix had in common in their music careers.

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