In April 1981, something rare happened on a small stage in West Germany. Johnny Cash was set to perform a solo show at the Sporthalle Böblingen near Stuttgart. But without warning, two of his old friends, Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis, showed up. No one had rehearsed. No one had planned. And yet what unfolded that night would become one of the most unforgettable live shows of Johnny Cash’s career. This special concert, later released as The Survivors, gave us the video “Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins & Jerry Lee Lewis – Live in Stuttgart 1981.”
The concert itself feels like a living scrapbook. Cash starts with his classics “Folsom Prison Blues,” “Frankie’s Man Johnny,” then hands the spotlight to his friends. Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis join in for gospel staples like “I’ll Fly Away” and “Will the Circle Be Unbroken.” It’s loose, raw, and full of love. Their voices aren’t perfect and that’s the point. It is three legends singing not just for a crowd, but for each other. There’s joy, surprise and a kind of sacred energy that only comes from friendship and shared history.
Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins & Jerry Lee Lewis – Live in Stuttgart 1981 (The Survivors)
For longtime fans, the performance is a dream come true. These weren’t just musicians they were survivors of a wild era in American music. They’d weathered addiction, fame and loss. And somehow, here they were back on stage, laughing and singing like teenagers again. The video captures moments of pure gold: Cash grinning between verses, Perkins tapping his foot with a guitar slung low, Jerry Lee pounding out gospel chords as if he were back in Memphis in ’56. In a world of overproduced shows, this one was honest, human, and completely unfiltered.
That kind of rawness is what ties this concert to another Johnny Cash recording: “25 Minutes to Go.” This song, though not performed that night, represents the other side of Johnny, the man who told complex stories with no sugarcoating. In it, he sings as a prisoner counting down the minutes until his execution. Every verse is darker than the last but you can’t look away. It’s haunting, yes, but it’s also brave. Just like the Stuttgart concert, it refuses to pretend.
Johnny Cash – 25 Minutes to Go (Official Audio)
Where “The Survivors” gave us brotherhood and joy, “25 Minutes to Go” reminds us of pain and fear. Both show Cash doing what he did best, telling stories that were sometimes funny, sometimes tragic but always real. He didn’t just sing songs. He lived with them. Whether standing between two old friends or alone behind a microphone, he always brought his whole self to the music.
That’s why people still listen. Because in every recording from gospel sing-alongs to death row laments, Johnny Cash gave us the truth. If you haven’t seen the Stuttgart video yet, give it a watch. It’s a moment of history you can actually feel. And while you’re at it, take a listen to “25 Minutes to Go.” Together, they tell the whole story of a man who carried joy and sorrow in the same voice and sang them both like he meant it.