Sam Hunt and His Wife Honor Johnny Cash in New Music Video “Locked Up”

While many know Sam Hunt as the voice behind albums like Montevallo and Southside, before he stepped into the spotlight, the singer shared his talents through writing. Having a talent for songwriting, Hunt used it to work with icons like Keith Urban, Reba McEntire, and Kenny Chesney. Having won numerous awards for his contributions to music, Hunt recently discussed his new music video “Locked Up” and how it not only started with just a title but how he channeled the legendary Johnny Cash throughout the process. 

Although Hunt wasn’t thinking about writing a new song at the time, he did have an idea when he wrote down the title “Locked Up.” Not knowing what would come of the title, the singer waited for the right time. And it came from his producer Zach Crowell. “My producer was playing me some music, he had built some tracks and was playing through a few songs, and I was looking at my phone, and I saw the title in the songs. The music sounded like the title, which is always a good start, and I just started singing that chorus. I think I filled in, 30-40 percent of the lyric in one take.” 

Sam Hunt Admitted “I Don’t Know If I Did Johnny Cash Justice”

Besides surrounding a man coming to terms with his past mistakes and honoring the woman who stood beside him throughout the process, Hunt decided to channel Cash and try to honor his 1968 concert at Folsom Prison. “We found a really cool old prison in East Tennessee, and we had this idea originally to recreate the Johnny Cash Folsom Prison concert that he did back in the day and dressed up in all black, a suit, and I got a bunch of local guys to come out and dress up as inmates and had a really good time with it, sort of a period piece idea, I guess you could call it.”

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Although wanting to pay tribute to Cash, Hunt admitted that it might not do the legend justice. “I don’t know if I did Johnny Cash justice. I doubt I did, but I enjoyed making the video and had my family out there with me and met a lot of cool folks who came out to help us with this video, so that was one of the more fun video experiences I’ve had.”

(Photo by Mickey Bernal/Getty Images)