Johnny Cash

Only a select few fans might know, but the late Johnny Cash became a military code-breaker in a short amount of time during the Korean War advanced fast through the ranks of the army. Accompanying that, the singer was said to have been the first American to receive the news of Joseph Stalin’s passing. While not being precisely a hobby, it did serve as a source of inspiration for Cash’s future compositions, for which he would gain widespread popularity and enjoying a high degree of success.

He covered songs by modern rock bands throughout the latter parts of his 50-year career, with his most prominent renditions being Nine Inch Nails’ Hurt, Soundgarden’s Rusty Cage, and Depeche Mode’s Personal Jesus. Cash is often remembered as one of the most successful musicians of all time, and at the peak of his career, selling more than 90 million records worldwide.