Fresh off winning Group of the Year at the ACM Awards, the Red Clay Strays have turned their attention to one of country music’s most untouchable classics — Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire.”
The Alabama band, whose sound weaves together southern rock, gospel, and western honky tonk, is currently on the road for the Grateful Tour, named after their most recent album. As the run has progressed, “Ring of Fire” has become a fixture in their live sets, and the group recently posted video of the performance online.
A Song Built for the Ages
Cash released “Ring of Fire” in 1963 on his compilation album Ring of Fire: The Best of Johnny Cash. The song was written by his future wife, June Carter — before the two married — and was first recorded in 1962 by June’s sister, Anita Carter. Cash’s recording elevated it to another level entirely, spending seven weeks at number one on the country charts. In 1999, the Recording Academy inducted it into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
Lead singer Brandon Coleman steered the Red Clay Strays’ version with the southern grit the band has made its calling card, bringing fresh weight to a song that has endured for more than six decades.
Fans React
The response online was immediate. Commenters flooded the video with praise, with several invoking Cash himself as the measuring stick for the performance. Among the reactions:
“I’d listen to him sing the dictionary if he sang it this way….”
“I love the raw emotion, it gets down to my bones and I shiver”
“Johnny Cash would be proud”
“Incredible! This man just knocked it out of our stratosphere!”
“Johnny Cash would come back to life just to hear you do this! WOW!”
With the Grateful Tour still underway, audiences catching the Red Clay Strays live have the chance to hear the cover firsthand — and based on the reaction so far, it’s becoming one of the highlights of the show.
