Glenn Shirley

During an armed robbery stint at Folsom Prison in the late 1960’s, criminal-turned-singer/songwriter Glen Milborn Sherley wrote the song “Greystone Chapel”, which was later introduced to singer Johnny Cash by a preacher friend of his, and Cash decided to play the song the next day during his concert at Folsom Prison, unbeknownst to Sherley.

The next day, Cash performed the song after announcing that it had been written by Sherley, who sitting in the front row. Later, Sherley recorded his self-titled debut album while in jail, releasing it through Mega Records.

In 1971, Sherley was released from prison and joined Cash’s publishing organization House of Cash. However, he was dismissed from the team due to, according to Cash’s manager Marshall Grant, exhibiting violent behavior, including making death threats to members of Cash’s show.

Sherley then began avoiding the public eye, working for a large cattle company, feeding 10,000 cattle a day, and living in a semi truck. In 1978, while high on drugs, Sherley killed a man then comitted suicide two days later. Cash paid for Sherley’s funeral and the 42-year-old was buried in Salinas, California.