The first big single record for 1958 is here. It’s Johnny Cash‘s “Ballad of a Teenage Queen.” This song has broken loose on the music scene so fast that it’s almost unbelievable. In one day it was No. 1 in Memphis, in one week it was No. 1 in Detroit and in two days it has become one of the best-selling songs in the Vancouver area.

Johnny Cash is a country singer who tossed his guitar over his shoulder a year ago and walked into the pop record ring. He won the first round by socking country hits onto the popular charts. His first big popular side was “I Walk the Line”, a million-seller in the pop field and a million-seller in the country field.

Johnny is 23 years old and is considered to be one of the greatest contributors to country music since Hank Williams. Both men have that art of being able to present a tune that sticks with you.

Much like Williams, Johnny Cash writes for his country fans with the hope that everybody everywhere will understand what he is trying to say. “Ballad of a Teenage Queen” is one of the biggest record hits in years. It may become one of the biggest sellers for 1958.

— Red Robinson in The Vancouver Sun, January 24, 1958