Which 1969 Johnny Cash live album was recorded at a California prison?

The 1969 Johnny Cash live album recorded at a California prison was ‘At San Quentin’. Cash and his band performed at San Quentin State Prison in California on January 1, 1969.

The concert followed the success of ‘At Folsom Prison’, recorded the previous year at Folsom State Prison. Columbia Records captured the San Quentin performance, and the resulting album included the live debut of ‘A Boy Named Sue’. That song became Cash’s biggest single on the Billboard Hot 100, despite being written by Shel Silverstein.

‘At San Quentin’ was more than a prison-concert document. Its confrontational energy, audience response, and direct lyrics helped Cash reach listeners outside the country market. The album topped the country album chart and also performed strongly on the pop chart. It is often confused with ‘At Folsom Prison’ because both albums feature prison audiences, but the titles identify two different California institutions and two separate recording events.