The Ballad of Boot Hill
Encyclopedia
The Ballad of Boot Hill is a 1959 song written by Carl Perkins
which was recorded by Johnny Cash
on Columbia Records
. The song was released in 1959 on a Columbia EP by Johnny Cash who also released the song on his 1965 LP album Sings the Ballads of the True West
. The song is about the 1881 Gunfight at the O.K. Corral
when three gunmen were killed by Doc Holliday
. "The Balld of Boot Hill" appeared on the 1992 Columbia collection The Essential Johnny Cash 1955-1983, a career retrospective of Johnny Cash's most important releases.
which appeared on his 1989 album Gunfight at the O.K. Corral on Bear Family Records. In 2008, Mark van den Berg recorded the song for his collection Mark van den Berg Sings the Hits of Johnny Cash on the Continental Record Services label.
Carl Perkins
Carl Lee Perkins was an American rockabilly musician who recorded most notably at Sun Records Studio in Memphis, Tennessee, beginning during 1954...
which was recorded by Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash
John R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
on Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
. The song was released in 1959 on a Columbia EP by Johnny Cash who also released the song on his 1965 LP album Sings the Ballads of the True West
Sings the Ballads of the True West
Sings the Ballads of the True West is a conceptual double album and the twenty-first album released by country singer Johnny Cash, released on Columbia Records in 1965 . Covering twenty individual songs, the album, as its title suggests, contains various ballads and other songs on topics related to...
. The song is about the 1881 Gunfight at the O.K. Corral
Gunfight at the O.K. Corral
The Gunfight at the O.K. Corral was a roughly 30-second gunfight that took place at about 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 26, 1881, in Tombstone, Cochise County, Arizona Territory, of the United States. Outlaw Cowboys Ike Clanton and Billy Claiborne ran from the fight, unharmed, but Ike's brother...
when three gunmen were killed by Doc Holliday
Doc Holliday
John Henry "Doc" Holliday was an American gambler, gunfighter and dentist of the American Old West, who is usually remembered for his friendship with Wyatt Earp and his involvement in the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral...
. "The Balld of Boot Hill" appeared on the 1992 Columbia collection The Essential Johnny Cash 1955-1983, a career retrospective of Johnny Cash's most important releases.
Cover Versions
"The Ballad of Boot Hill" was recorded in 1984 by country and western singer Johnny WesternJohnny Western
Johnny Western is an American country singer-songwriter, musician, actor, and radio show host. He is a member of the Western Music Association Hall of Fame and the Country Music Disc Jockey Hall of Fame.-Early life:...
which appeared on his 1989 album Gunfight at the O.K. Corral on Bear Family Records. In 2008, Mark van den Berg recorded the song for his collection Mark van den Berg Sings the Hits of Johnny Cash on the Continental Record Services label.
Album Appearances
- Sings the Ballads of the True West (1965), Columbia Records
- Mean as Hell! (1966)
- Heart of Cash (1968)
- Walls of a Prison (1970), Harmony
- Come Along and Ride This Train (1991), Bear Family Records
- The Essential Johnny Cash 1955-1983 (1992)