Johnny Cash & June Carter - CMA Awards

1969 COUNTRY MUSIC ASSOCIATION AWARD FOR ALBUM OF THE YEAR FOR JOHNNY CASH AT SAN QUENTIN PRESENTED TO JOHNNY CASH

In 1969, Johnny Cash stood tall atop the entire music world. This album was nominated for a Grammy for Album of the Year (lot 133), and the single "A Boy Named Sue" was nominated for three awards. Johnny also wore out his boots collecting four other CMA Awards in 1969: Entertainer of the Year, Single of the Year for "A Boy Named Sue" from Johnny Cash at San Quentin, Vocal Group of the Year with June, and the prestigious Founding President's Award. "The Johnny Cash Show" also premiered that year, exposing a vast mainstream audience to the talents of Johnny and June.

1969 COUNTRY MUSIC ASSOCIATION AWARD FOR SINGLE OF THE YEAR FOR "A BOY NAMED SUE" PRESENTED TO JOHNNY CASH

Written by Shel Silverstein, "A Boy Named Sue" was first performed by Johnny Cash on the album Johnny Cash at San Quentin. Johnny and the band had never even rehearsed the song, and he was nervous about whether or not they would make it through this performance, which is why he talked his way through most of it. Shel Silverstein had been a cartoonist for Playboy at the time he was trying to sell the song, and would ironically go on to write several extremely popular children's books such as Where the Sidewalk Ends and A Light in the Attic. Silverstein would win the Grammy Songwriter's Award for Best Country Song for the composition in 1969.

1969 COUNTRY MUSIC ASSOCIATION AWARD FOR MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR PRESENTED TO JOHNNY CASH

With the success of "A Boy Named Sue" and the album Live At San Quentin, it is not hard to see how Johnny would also be named Male Vocalist of the Year.

1969 COUNTRY MUSIC ASSOCIATION AWARD FOR VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR PRESENTED TO JOHNNY CASH AND JUNE CARTER

Johnny and June had great duet success in the late 1960s. Together they won for Best Country Western Performance Duet, Trio or Group in 1967 for the song "Jackson" (lot 119), and again the year following this award, for "If I Were a Carpenter" in 1970 (lot 170).