Johnny Cash's 1976 Suit Coming Home

Cleveland County is forever Cash Country

June Carter and Johnny Cash ride in a vintage carriage on the way to the 1976 concert in Rison. (Photo from the Betty Lisemby Collection, Cleveland County Historical Society.)

Cleveland County clings to Johnny Cash.

And rightly so. He's the most famous person ever to be born in the county, and, arguably, the most famous person from the state.

In 1976, Cash returned to the county, and it was a very big deal. Fans and family members of Johnny Cash turned out by the thousands, including Gov. David Pryor, to be part of Cleveland County’s U.S. Bicentennial celebration featuring Cash and his wife, June Carter Cash, on March 20, 1976.

(Note: This video says 1975, but Cash appeared in Rison in 1976.)

Cash was a mega celebrity in 1976. He hosted the “Johnny Cash and Friends” variety show on television.

He also had a number one single “One Piece at a Time” that year.

Cash even starred in a commercial for Lionel Trains in a suit similar to the one he wore in Rison.

The Big Rison Concert

Cash's concert was held on the Rison Football Field. He wore a black custom-made suit — of course, because he was known as the Man in Black — for the celebration. The suit has American eagles on both sides of the shirt with stars and cuffs with the 1776 flag on each sleeve. The pants also featured stars.

The 1976 suit worn by Johnny Cash at the Rison Concert. (Photo courtesy of Wayne Cash)

After the event, Cash gave his suit to Lois Moore who loved Cleveland County history and wanted to save it. Moore was instrumental in the saving of historic buildings in Cleveland County and created the Pioneer Village in Rison. She was also a member of the Cleveland County Historical Society, which eventually owned the suit.

Cash donated the proceeds from the 1976 concert to the Cleveland County Historical Society to help with the creation of the Pioneer Village that still remains a tourist attraction and a homage to the county's past.

The suit was housed in the Cleveland County Courthouse for several years. For some unknown reason the suit was moved from the courthouse and kept elsewhere until it was re-discovered and again made ready for display.

For the last few years, the black suit has been on display in the Historic Dyess Colony: Johnny Cash Boyhood home, an Arkansas State University Heritage Site. The suit has also been displayed in Nashville, Tenn.

Wayne Cash, a member of the Cleveland County Historical Society and a third cousin to Johnny Cash, has worked to get the suit back home.

The Cleveland County Historical Society plans to have the suit in its possession in September. The society is currently raising money to have a case built to display the suit.

The ultimate plan is to have the suit ready in the Cleveland County Courthouse by Oct. 12 — the weekend of the Rison in the Fall festival and the Junk Hunt.

“Because his beginnings are in Cleveland County — both of his parents were born here, and so was he — and the suit, according to Betty Lisemby, former Pioneer Village director, was designed by Johnny Cash and made to be worn at the Bicentennial Concert that he presented here, the Cleveland County Historical Society feels that it is an important part of our history and should be returned to Cleveland County for display in the Courthouse,” said Annette Rawls with the Cleveland County Historical Society. “He still has many relatives here and often returned to Cleveland County for family reunions and at times would also bring some other musician friends for fishing trips.”

The Cleveland County Historical Society is accepting donations to have the case built to house the suit in the courthouse. Donations, which are tax-deductible, can be made to:

Cleveland County Historical Society or (CCHS) P.O. Box 192, Rison, Arkansas 71665.

Do you remember attending the 1976 concert? Drop us a line and tell us your Johnny Cash memory: southarkansasreckoning@proton.me