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“Okie from Muskogee,” written by Merle Haggard, is a decidedly anti-hippie song, comparing a person from Muskogee, Oklahoma with “the hippies out in San Francisco” who “let hair grow long and nasty and dirty.” On the other hand, Guy Drake’s “Welfare Cadillac” tells the story of a welfare recipient who cheats the system, spending his checks on a new Cadillac. Additionally, though, as Cash later wrote, the songs were “lightning rods for antihippie and antiblack sentiment.” He insisted that he didn’t have time to learn them, and that he didn’t want to step on their original artists’ toes. Shocked upon hearing the requests, Cash agreed to perform “A Boy Named Sue”-but he refused to sing the other two. This fact became rather obvious when word got out about the president’s three song requests for the evening: Cash’s own “A Boy Named Sue,” Merle Haggard’s “Okie from Muskogee,” and Guy Drake’s “Welfare Cadillac.” The biggest flaw in Nixon’s plan? He didn’t really know very much about country music. Hoping to garner support from Cash’s expansive national fanbase, Nixon likely thought this performance would solidify Cash’s support for the Republican party’s platform, as well as demonstrate that he enjoyed one of America’s most popular genres. The president’s decision was certainly a bold one. As soon as Nixon heard of Cash’s sentiments, he invited the singer to the White House as the fourth artist featured in his “Evening at the White House” concert series. In the months prior to his appearance at the White House, Cash openly stated his support of President Nixon-not because of his policies (in fact, Cash had not even voted for him), but because he wished for a peaceful end to the ongoing war in Vietnam. Johnny Cash was emblematic of American culture and appealed to the common people, bringing the country music genre to life with a bit of compassion. He crafted his own style of music, one which simultaneously entertained audiences and also proved meaningful. He regularly wrote and performed songs for inmates, soldiers, Native Americans, and the poor. Image Source: Billboard via Wikimedia Commons.īy April 1970, Johnny Cash had sold millions of records, performed before crowds of thousands of people, and started his own television show. Both of the Cashes appeared on stage at the White House in 1970. June Carter Cash performs with her husband, Johnny Cash, in 1971. He and his wife, musician June Carter Cash, were soon heading to the White House-and their concert had already shaped up to be a highly-anticipated event. That evening, President Nixon would sit in the East Room of the White House for another cultural milestone: a legendary performance by country music star Johnny Cash.Īt the moment the Apollo 13 command module splashed down, Johnny Cash was likely tuning his guitar and getting his outfit ready for the night. The nation breathed a collective sigh of relief.īut the day wasn’t over yet. Image Source: National Archives and Records Administration.Īpwas a big day for the United States-President Richard Nixon even described it as the “proudest day of life and in the life of the country.” That afternoon, the ill-fated Apollo 13 crew splashed down in the Pacific Ocean and made it to safety. President Richard Nixon, First Lady Pat Nixon, June Carter Cash, and Johnny Cash on Apat the White House.