Watch Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings Team Up for “Folsom Prison Blues” at the Inaugural Farm Aid Concert in 1985

Willie Nelson, Neil Young, and John Mellencamp organized the first annual Farm Aid in 1985. Taking place in Champaign, Illinois, the benefit for family farmers featured a star-studded lineup. B.B. King, Huey Lewis, Loretta Lynn, Tom Petty, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, and many more performed during the inaugural event.

That night saw many memorable musical moments. For instance, it was the first time Sammy Hagar and Eddie Van Halen appeared live together shortly after Hagar joined Van Halen. Additionally, it saw many country music team-ups like Cash and Jennings performing “Folsom Prison Blues” together during Waylon’s set. Watch half of the Highwaymen perform the Cash classic below.

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[RELATED: On This Day in 1955, Johnny Cash Recorded His Signature Song “Folsom Prison Blues” for the First Time at Sun Studios in Memphis]

“Here’s somebody else that’s great. This is my friend on the road, at home, and everywhere for about 25 years. Truly a legend in his own time,” Jennings said, introducing Cash before they kicked off the song with Johnny taking over vocal duties while Waylon played lead guitar.

Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings Perform a Classic

“Folsom Prison Blues” had been a hit song for Johnny Cash twice before he and Waylon Jennings performed it at Farm Aid in 1985.

First, Cash wrote and recorded “Folsom Prison Blues” for his 1955 debut album With His Hot and Blue Guitar. He released it as the B-side of “So Doggone Lonesome” and the double-sided single went to No. 4 on the Billboard country chart.

Then, Cash recorded the song again for his 1968 live album At Folsom Prison. He released it as the first and only single from the album and it went to No. 1 and stayed there for four consecutive weeks. Today, decades later, it remains one of the late country icon’s most popular songs.

Cash never did time in prison. However, after watching the 1951 film Behind the Walls of Folsom Prison while stationed in Germany during his time in the Air Force, he drew a comparison between prison life and life on the base. He famously came up with the iconic line, I shot a man in Reno just to watch him die by “Trying to think of the worst reason for killing another person.

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