If you think you know everything about the infamous Johnny Cash, think again. It turns out that there are still some hidden stories about the musical artist, as well as some stories that are just not true. One thing I am pretty positive you did not know was that Mr. Johnny Cash once released 500 baby chickens in a hotel. Find out why he did it and what the connection is to his popular song, "The Chicken In Black."
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Why Did Johnny Cash Release 500 Baby Chickens In A Hotel?
Turns out that in addition to loving music, Johnny Cash also loved pranks. Rolling Stone shared some of the artists favorite pranks to pull. Which included, flushing "lit cherry bombs down hotel toilets" and tossing "television sets out of hotel windows." Seems a bit destructive to me. Whatever happened to a simple prank phone call?
I guess when you are famous you can get away with it? Or you are good enough at pranking that no one ever finds out it is you. Anyway, even those were not enough for the singer, he decided he wanted to step things up a level. Whiskey Riff shares the insane story of the time where the artist decided to release 500 baby chickens in a hotel.
I know...who comes up with these ideas? Not once have I thought to myself...oh releasing 500 live animals in this random hotel seems like a fun idea, but I digress. Apparently, Mr. Cash was in Omaha, Nebraska when he decided to visit a local hatchery and purchase the 500 chicks. I am sure the hatchery was thrilled with his decision.
Next, he brought those 500 baby chickens back to where he was staying and released them on five different floors of the hotel. All I can think about is the poor staff, trying to round up these frantic chicks and cleaning up their endless droppings. Also, the poor baby chickens were probably terrified. I wonder what happened to them after this prank?
Connection To A Popular Song?
While many people assume this prank had a connection to Cash's song, "The Chicken In Black", that is just simply not true. Cash released this song years later and there was no proven connection to his song and the 500 baby chickens he let loose in the hotel. I think drugs and alcohol were the more likely culprits.
In fact, Johnny Cash grew to hate the song after some time and demanded that his team stop promoting it. The hatred came after his friend, Waylon Jennings, made fun of him for wearing a yellow, spandex suit in the music video. While Cash originally loved the song and the bizarre story behind it, he got made fun of enough times to change his mind.
Later in an interview he even called the song "intentionally atrocious" and admitted that he "wasn't surprised when Rick Blackburn at CBS Nashville declined to renew my [Cash's] contract in 1986." Although the star grew to hate his once beloved song, it is regaining popularity on social media today. Now, "The Chicken In Black" is trending on TikTok, where people are recreating the bank heist scene from the music video.
However, instead up holding up a guitar, like Johnny Cash, they are using their pets. Check out some of the hilarious videos below.
