On this day in 1971, James Taylor appeared on the Johnny Cash Show. It was his prime-time television debut. Other guests that week on the show were Neil Young, Linda Ronstadt, and Tony Joe White. Taylor performed “Sweet Baby James,” “Fire and Rain,” and “Country Road.” He also duetted with Cash on “Oh Susanna.”
Less than a month later, on March 7, 1971, Taylor played Curtis Hixon Hall in Tampa. His setlist included the soon-to-be-classics that he played on the Johnny Cash Show, along with favorites such as “Carolina in my Mind.”