Legacy Recordings continues to celebrate the life and times – and music – of Johnny Cash, the international superstar and American statesman who would have turned 80 years old next year.

'BOOTLEG VOL. 3 – LIVE AROUND THE WORLD' is a treasure trove of rare tracks spanning nearly a quarter-century of Johnny Cash performances. The shows date from 1956 (the Big "D" Jamboree in Dallas, Texas) to 1979 (the Exit Inn in Nashville). Along the way, this deluxe double-CD package of 50 musical performances (39 of them previously unreleased) makes some very exciting stops

Disc 1:
The first disc kicks off with the announcer of the Big "D" Jamboree, Dallas, TX (1956) - "Well sir, this the young fella that's really been sellin' the records around the country and a guy that's got a million fans all around these United States. Our guest star tonight, Sony recording artist, Johnny Cash" - and Cash's song, 'So Doggone Lonesome.' Cash thanks the announcer, and the fans for allowing him to be there that night, before he slides smoothly into both 'I Walk The Line' and 'Get Rhythm.'

With not many tracks longer than three minutes in length, we move into his performance at New River Ranch, Rising Sun, Maryland (1962) and after a very quick intro we get straight into the frantic 'Country Boy.' Cash then reveals the last time they were there was in 1927, hopes the audience likes their part of the show, and then warns/introduces them to the "fellas we call the Tennessee 3." Not by name, but a general arm swing of an intro'd gesture, the band then go into the short 'I Still Miss Someone.'

Next is the beloved-by-the-audience 'Cotton Fields,' a song written by blues musician Huddie Ledbetter, better known as Lead Belly. He follows that with another wonderful rendition, albeit short, of 'I Walk The Line,' before Cash reveals he was in the Air Force; and cracks a joke about it thereafter. Luther Perkins then leads us into the quick 'Perkins Boogie,' before Cash gives us an impersonation of one of his (and his grandmother's) personal favorites, Ernest Tubb - a man nicknamed the Texas Troubadour.

After he interacts with the crowd, and does another impersonation (this time of a singing cat and Elvis Presley - which goes down great guns with all the kids there), next is 'Rock Island Line,' with 'The Rebel - Johnny Yuma' wrapping that session up.

Continuing on in musical style, and with Marshall Grant (who passed away on August 7, 2011) on bass, the Cash Bootleg series takes us next to the Newport Folk Festival, Newport, Rhode Island, July 25th (1964). The first song played, after a personal introduction from Pete Seeger, is 'Big River.' We then get to flow through songs such as 'Folsom Prison Blues,' 'I Still Miss Someone,' 'Rock Island Line,' and the Bob Dylan-requested song, 'Don't Think Twice, It s Alright.' Another 'I Walk The Line' is next with 'Ballad Of Ira Hayes' and 'Keep On The Sunny Side' following.

Completing his journeyman adventures (on side one), Cash appears at the Annex 14 NCO Club, Long Binh, Vietnam, January of 1969. Another rendition of 'Big River' and then 'Wreck Of The Old 97' and after Cash tells the audience he had to go to the Dispensary before the show (as he had a bit of a fever, noted at 102 and was told he shouldn't play, but that was never going to stop him) we head into 'Tennessee Flat Top Box.'

Addressing the Troops again, he strums into 'Remember The Alamo,' before a vibrant (albeit bad audio recording) 'Cocaine Blues.' Introducing Bob Wootton the replacement for the deceased Luther Perkins, the band then crank out a wonderful version of 'Jackson.' The duets with his wife June continues with 'Long-Legged Guitar Pickin Man' (a song written by Cark Perkins), before the disc is wrapped up by both 'Ring Of Fire' and 'Daddy Sang Bass.'

Disc 2:
After an official intro from President Richard M. Nixon at The White House, Washington, D.C. on April 17th, 1970 (a day Nixon proclaims, to rapturous applause, to be one of the greatest days in American history re: Captain Lovell having made his final flight into space aboard the ill-fated Apollo 13), Johnny Cash opens with 'A Boy Named Sue' and then 'Five Feet High and Rising.'

This is the longest set on this two-disc set (at 12 songs), as the entire traveling entourage is showcased: June, her sister Anita and the Carter Family, Carl Perkins, and the Statler Brothers. Cash continues on (after a little intro about themselves) with 'Pickin' Time,' 'Wreck Of The Old '97,' and the true tale, 'Lumberjack,' before he chats about Dr. Billy Graham and then goes into 'Jesus Was A Carpenter.'

More religious songs follow with 'What Is Truth,' before the song of peace, ' (There'll Be) Peace In The Valley (For Me)' and ' He Turned The Water Into Wine.' The Carl Perkins-written bop, ' Daddy Sang Bass' is next, with the last song of the White House set, 'The Old Account' rounding things out. Three tracks are selected from the oft-overlooked live prison recording from Sweden, Pa Osteraker, recorded in 1972, including 'Sunday Morning Comin' Down,' 'The Prisoner's Song' ("The oldest song of the prisoners was written way back before I was born in 1925," Cash informs his audience prior to it), and a song for his father, Gene Autry's 'That Silver Haired Daddy Of Mine.'

One solitary track from the CBS Records Convention in Nashville, Tennessee (1973) is next in Arlo Guthrie's 'City of New Orleans,' before a couple from his Carter Fold, Hiltons, Virginia (1976) - 'Ragged Old Flag' and (the always fun-to-hear) 'One Piece At A Time' - storytelling tracks that feature Cash solo accompanied only by a piano.

Next are three songs from the Wheeling Jamboree, Wheeling, West Virginia (October 2nd, 1976), with the Tennessee Three joined by a pianist. First up is (an abbreviated) 'Hey Porter,' which is followed by both 'There You Go' and 'Give My Love To Rose.'

Last up on this incredible 2-disc collection is the Exit Inn in Nashville, Tennessee (December 10th, 1979), where the group is joined by "Cowboy" Jack Clement on guitar and Earl Poole Ball on piano. The songs played are the Stan Jones-written '(Ghost) Riders In The Sky' and 'I'm Just An Old Chunk Of Coal.'

From country jamborees and juke joints, to folk festivals, prison shows, USO tours in war zones, and even a White House invitational, there was no audience Cash could not win over through his music. Buy this incredible musical collection today and add it to the other two in the set immediately!