Jesse Morris or Punk Rock Johnny Cash (November 6, 1984 - November 6, 2011) was a busker from San Francisco, California. Six years after his death in 2011 a video of him playing a

Johnny Cash John R. Cash (born J. R. Cash; February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American singer-songwriter. Most of his music contains themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption, especially songs from the later stages of his career. ...

song garnered 4 million views.

Early life

He was born November 6, 1984. He grew up in

Oakland Hills, Oakland, California Oakland Hills is an informal term used to indicate the city neighborhoods lying within the eastern portion of Oakland, California, Oakland, California. The northernmost neighborhoods were devastated by the Oakland firestorm of 1991. Geograp ...

and began busking when he was about 13 years old. Morris had a baritone voice and people told him it was suited to Johnny Cash songs. He did not begin busking in the subways of San Francisco until he was 18 years old.

Career

He become known for performing cover songs from

Merle Haggard Merle Ronald Haggard (April 6, 1937 – April 6, 2016) was an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and fiddler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential figures in country music, he was a central pioneer of the Bakersfield ...

, Black Flag and

. Morris was a busker in San Francisco and he became well known for his Johnny Cash covers and he earned the nickname the Punk Rock Johnny Cash. His best known Johnny Cash covers were ''

Folsom Prison Blues "Folsom Prison Blues" is a song by American singer-songwriter Johnny Cash, based on material composed by Gordon Jenkins. Written in 1953, it was first recorded and released as a single in 1955, and later included on his debut studio album ''John ...

'' and ''

Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down" is a song written by Kris Kristofferson that was recorded in 1969 by Ray Stevens before becoming a No.1 hit on the ''Billboard'' US Country chart for Johnny Cash. History Stevens' version of the song reached No.55 o ...

''. He also worked as a bouncer for a bar, and he had a band called ''Jesse Morris and the Man Cougars''. He often busked at the

BART Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) is a rapid transit system serving the San Francisco Bay Area in California. BART serves List of Bay Area Rapid Transit stations, 50 stations along six routes and of track, including eBART, a spur line running t ...

's 24th Street Mission station and

Montgomery Street station Montgomery Street station (often called Montgomery station) is a combined BART and Muni Metro rapid transit subway station in the Market Street subway in downtown San Francisco. Located under Market Street (San Francisco), Market Street betwee ...

s. Before his death he had begun recording a solo album of country songs, but he never completed the record. In 2008 he was named Best

Musician in 2008 by San Francisco Weekly.

Death and legacy

Morris struggled with mental health issues and addiction. Morris attempted suicide by hanging in September 2011, and killed himself two months later on November 6, 2011. A four-minute video of Morris busking while singing "Sunday Morning Comin' Down," went viral in 2017 garnering 4 million views.

References

External links

YouTube video - Jesse Morris: Sunday Morning Coming DownYouTube video Johnny Cash? - Jesse Morris & The Man Cougars
{{DEFAULTSORT:Morris, Jesse 1984 births 2011 deaths American male guitarists Musicians from San Francisco 21st-century American guitarists Suicides in California