By the early 1970s, American singer and actor Johnny Cash established a public image known by which nickname?

Born to poor cotton farmers in Kingsland, Arkansas, American singer, songwriter, musician and actor Johnny Cash (1932-2003) rose to fame in the burgeoning rockabilly scene in Memphis, Tennessee after four years in the U.S. Air Force discharged with the rank of Staff Sergeant.

Much of his music contained themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption, especially in the later stage of his career.

He was known for his deep, calm bass-baritone voice, a distinctive sound plus his increasingly somber and humble demeanor, free prison concerts and a trademark all-black stage wardrobe which earned him the nickname, “The Man in Black”.

He regularly performed in entirely black suits with a long, black, knee-length coat. This outfit stood in contrast to the rhinestone suits and cowboy boots worn by most of the major country acts of his day. Cash said he wore all black on behalf of the poor and hungry, the “prisoner who has long paid for his crime”, and those who have been betrayed by age or drugs.

He added, “With the Vietnam War as painful in my mind as it was in most other Americans, I wore it ‘in mourning’ for the lives that could have been’…Apart from the Vietnam War being over, I don’t see much reason to change my position…The old are still neglected, the poor are still poor, the young are still dying before their time, and we're not making many moves to make things right.”