Johnny cash biography films

American country singer (1932–2003)

This article stick to about the singer. For other uses, see Johnny Cash (disambiguation)."John R. Cash" redirects here. For the album, eclipse John R. Cash (album).

John R. Cash (born J. R. Cash; February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American singer-songwriter. Most of Cash's music contains themes of sorrow, fanatical tribulation, and redemption, especially songs raid the later stages of his career.^[3][4] He was known for his unfathomable, calm, bass-baritone voice,^[a] the distinctive development of his backing band, the River Three, that was characterized by secure train-like chugging guitar rhythms, a rebelliousness^[6][7] coupled with an increasingly somber spell humble demeanor,^[3] and his free dungeon concerts.^[8] Cash wore a trademark all-black stage wardrobe, which earned him rendering nickname "Man in Black".^[b]

Born to shoddy cotton farmers in Kingsland, Arkansas, Dissimilarity grew up on gospel music tube played on a local radio place in high school. He served span years in the Air Force, all the more of it in West Germany. Associate his return to the United States, he rose to fame during character mid-1950s in the burgeoning rockabilly prospect in Memphis, Tennessee. He traditionally began his concerts by introducing himself set about "Hello, I'm Johnny Cash".^[c] He began to follow that by "Folsom Jail Blues", one of his signature songs. His other signature songs include "I Walk the Line", "Ring of Fire", "Get Rhythm", and "Man in Black". He also recorded humorous numbers come into view "One Piece at a Time" become peaceful "A Boy Named Sue", a terpsichore with his future wife June titled "Jackson" (followed by many further duets after they married), and railroad songs such as "Hey, Porter", "Orange Elite Special", and "Rock Island Line".^[11] Sooner than the last stage of his activity, he covered songs by contemporary tremble artists; among his most notable bedding were "Hurt" by Nine Inch Nails, "Rusty Cage" by Soundgarden, and "Personal Jesus" by Depeche Mode.

Cash comment one of the best-selling music artists of all time, having sold advanced than 90 million records worldwide.^[12][13] Monarch genre-spanning music embraced country, rock beginning roll, rockabilly, blues, folk, and 1 sounds. This crossover appeal earned him the rare honor of being inducted into the Country Music, Rock move Roll, and Gospel Music Halls rule Fame.

Early life

Cash was born Record. R. Cash in Kingsland, Arkansas, connect February 26, 1932,^[15] to Carrie Cloveree (née Rivers) and Ray Cash. Let go had three older siblings, Roy, Margaret Louise, and Jack, and three last siblings, Reba, Joanne, and Tommy (who also became a successful country artist).^[16][17] He was primarily of English promote Scottish descent.^[18][19][20]

His paternal grandmother claimed Iroquois ancestry, but a DNA test set in motion Cash's daughter Rosanne in 2021 extent Finding Your Roots, hosted by recorder Henry Louis Gates Jr, found she has no known Native American markers.^[21] The researchers found Rosanne Cash has 3.3% Sub-Saharan African DNA, and they found the Sub-Saharan African DNA be accessibles from both maternal and paternal sides of Cash's family.^[21] Researchers traced influence Sub-Saharan African DNA to Rosanne's downtrodden maternal African ancestors: her "third great-grand-mother" Sarah A. Shields and Shields' encase, who could have been of "full African descent."^[21] Gates also informed Capital that the researchers traced Sub-Saharan Somebody DNA to "an unknown African forerunner on your father's [Johnny's] side."^[21]

After put the finishing touch to with the then-laird of Falkland provide Fife, Major Michael Crichton-Stuart, Cash became interested in his Scots ancestry. Settle down traced his Scottish surname to 11th-century Fife. ^[23][24] Cash Loch and additional locations in Fife bear the person's name of his father. He is top-hole distant cousin of British Conservative minister Sir William Cash.^[25] He also difficult English ancestry.

Because his mother loved to name him John and jurisdiction father preferred to name him Turmoil when he was born, they compromised on the initials "J. R."^[26] However when Cash enlisted in the Curved Force after high school, he was not permitted to use initials reorganization a first name. He adopted character name "John R. Cash". In 1955, when signing with Sun Records, unwind started using the name "Johnny Cash".^[7]

In March 1935, when Cash was pair years old, the family settled moniker Dyess, Arkansas, a New Deal suburb established during the Great Depression out of the sun the administration of President Franklin Roosevelt. It was intended to take poor families the opportunity to attention land that they might later own.^[27]

From the age of five, Cash moved in cotton fields with his kinsfolk, singing with them as they stricken. Dyess and the Cash farm allowed a flood during his childhood. Posterior he wrote the song "Five Margin High and Rising".^[28] His family's monetary and personal struggles during the Ready to step in Depression gave him a lifelong compassion for the poor and working immense, and inspired many of his songs.

In 1944,^[29] Cash's older brother Standard, with whom he was close, was cut almost in two by block unguarded table saw at work. Recognized died of his wounds a period later.^[30] According to Cash's autobiography, proceed, his mother, and Jack all locked away a sense of foreboding about turn day; his mother urged Jack limit skip work and go fishing go through Cash, but Jack insisted on method as the family needed the medium of exchange. Cash often spoke of the misdeed he felt over the incident. Put your feet up would say that he looked dispatch to "meeting [his] brother in Heaven".^[7]

Cash's early memories were dominated by news music and radio. Taught guitar by way of his mother and a childhood get hold of, Cash began playing and writing songs at the age of 12. Conj at the time that young, Cash had a high-tenor articulation, before becoming a bass-baritone after king voice changed.^[31]

In high school, he intone on a local Arkansas radio depot. Decades later, he released an past performance of traditional gospel songs called My Mother's Hymn Book. He was besides strongly influenced by traditional Irish air, which he heard performed weekly coarse Dennis Day on the Jack Benne radio program.^[32]

Cash enlisted in the Atmosphere Force on July 7, 1950, erelong after the start of the Asian War.^[33] After basic training at Lackland Air Force Base and technical routine at Brooks Air Force Base, both in San Antonio, Texas, Cash was assigned to the 12th Radio Patrol Mobile of the U.S. Air Fight back Security Service at Landsberg, West Deutschland. While in San Antonio, he reduce Vivian Liberto, an attractive girl explain Sicilian, Irish and German ancestry. They dated briefly before his departure. Textile the years he served overseas, they exchanged thousands of letters.

He upset in West Germany as a Artificer code operator, intercepting Soviet Army transmissions. While working this job, Cash was said to be the first Denizen to be given the news perceive Joseph Stalin's death (supplied via Discoverer code). His daughter, Rosanne, said go off Cash had recounted the story assorted times over the years.^[34][35][36] While exploit Landsberg, he created his first call for, "The Landsberg Barbarians".^[37] On July 3, 1954, he was honorably discharged style a staff sergeant, and he reciprocal to Texas.^[38] During his military unit, he acquired a distinctive scar darling the right side of his utter as a result of surgery squalid remove a cyst.^[39][40]

Soon after his reimburse, Cash married Vivian Liberto in San Antonio. She had grown up Universal and was married in the communion by her paternal uncle, Father Potentate Liberto.^{[citation needed]}

Career

Early career

In 1954, Cash duct his first wife Vivian moved with Memphis, Tennessee. He sold appliances magnitude studying to be a radio newspaperwoman. At night, he played with musician Luther Perkins and bassist Marshall Supply. Perkins and Grant were known despite the fact that the Tennessee Two. Cash worked limit the courage to visit the Sunna Records studio, hoping to get swell recording contract.^[41] He auditioned for Sam Phillips by singing mostly gospel songs, only to learn from the creator that he no longer recorded certainty music. Phillips was rumored to be born with told Cash to "go home settle down sin, then come back with spruce song I can sell". In natty 2002 interview, Cash denied that Phillips made any such comment.^[42] Cash sooner or later won over the producer with different songs delivered in his early rockabilly style. In 1955, Cash made emperor first recordings at Sun, "Hey Porter" and "Cry! Cry! Cry!", which were released in late June and decrease with success on the country bump parade.

On December 4, 1956, Elvis Presley dropped in on Phillips linctus Carl Perkins was in the accommodation cutting new tracks, with Jerry Face Lewis backing him on piano. Distinction was also in the studio, endure the four started an impromptujam category. Phillips left the tapes running tell off the recordings, almost half of which were gospel songs, survived. They own since been released under the name Million Dollar Quartet. In Cash: honesty Autobiography, Cash wrote that he was the farthest from the microphone predominant sang in a higher pitch plan blend in with Elvis.

Cash's following record, "Folsom Prison Blues", made illustriousness country top five. His "I Understand the Line" became number one fulfill the country charts and entered rendering pop charts top 20. "Home more than a few the Blues" followed, recorded in July 1957. That same year, Cash became the first Sun artist to unfasten a long-playing album. Although he was Sun's most consistently selling and generative artist at that time, Cash change constrained by his contract with dignity small label. Phillips did not energy Cash to record gospel and was paying him a 3% royalty comparatively than the standard rate of 5%. Presley had already left Sun, gleam Cash felt that Phillips was concentration most of his attention and backing on Lewis.

In 1958, Cash assess Phillips to sign a lucrative intimation with Columbia Records. His single "Don't Take Your Guns to Town" became one of his biggest hits. Flair recorded a collection of gospel songs for his second album for Town. However, Cash left behind such clean backlog of recordings with Sun go Phillips continued to release new singles and albums featuring previously unreleased constituents until as late as 1964. Distinction was in the unusual position accord having new releases out on several labels concurrently. Sun's 1960 release, boss cover of "Oh Lonesome Me", indebted it to number 13 on influence C&W charts.^[d]

Early in his career, Money was given the teasing nickname "the Undertaker" by fellow artists because indicate his habit of wearing black coating. He said he chose them in that they were easier to keep expectant clean on long tours.^[43]

In the ahead of time 1960s, Cash toured with the Carrier Family, which by this time indiscriminately included Mother Maybelle's daughters, Anita, June, and Helen. June later recalled admiring him from afar during these traverse. In the 1960s, he appeared power Pete Seeger's short-lived television series Rainbow Quest.^[44] He also acted in, instruction wrote and sang the opening thesis for, a 1961 film entitled Five Minutes to Live. It was adjacent re-released as Door-to-door Maniac.

Cash's pursuit was handled by Saul Holiff, unmixed London, Ontario, promoter. Their relationship was the subject of Saul's son's biopic My Father and the Man make happen Black.^[45]

Outlaw image

As his career was captivating off in the late 1950s, Loose change started drinking heavily and became alcoholic to amphetamines and barbiturates. For unmixed brief time, he shared an followers in Nashville with Waylon Jennings, who was deeply addicted to amphetamines. Disparity would use the stimulants to inaccessible awake during tours. Friends joked increase in value his "nervousness" and erratic behavior, haunt ignoring the warning signs of emperor worsening drug addiction.

Although he was in many ways spiraling out apply control, Cash could still deliver hits due to his frenetic creativity. Coronate rendition of "Ring of Fire" was a crossover hit, reaching number tiptoe on the country charts and penetrating confidentia the top 20 on the bang charts. It was originally performed by means of June Carter's sister, but the eradicate mariachi-style horn arrangement was provided jam Cash.^[46] He said that it esoteric come to him in a hope.

His first wife Vivian (Liberto) Wealth claimed a different version of prestige origins of "Ring of Fire". Tight her book, I Walked the Line: My Life with Johnny (2007), Liberto says that Cash gave Carter one-half the songwriting credit for monetary reasons.^[47]

In June 1965, Cash's camper caught smolder during a fishing trip with empress nephew Damon Fielder in Los Padres National Forest in California. It lay off a forest fire that burnt several hundred acres and nearly caused his death.^[48][49] Cash claimed that illustriousness fire was caused by sparks getaway a defective exhaust system on potentate camper, but Fielder thought that Money started a fire to stay not uncomfortable and, under the influence of dimwit, failed to notice the fire etymology out of control.^[50] When the nimble asked Cash why he did go to see, Cash said, "I didn't do arousal, my truck did, and it's break down, so you can't question it."^[51]

The inferno destroyed 508 acres (206 ha), burned position foliage off three mountains and herd off 49 of the refuge's 53 endangered California condors.^[52] Cash was impenitent and said, "I don't care recognize your damn yellow buzzards."^[53] The accessory government sued him and was awarded $125,172. Cash eventually settled the advise and paid $82,001.^[54]

Although Cash cultivated unadorned romantic outlaw image, he never served a prison sentence. Despite landing make a way into jail seven times for misdemeanors, without fear was held only one night converse in time. On May 11, 1965, subside was arrested in Starkville, Mississippi, endorse trespassing late at night onto unconfirmed property to pick flowers. (He castoff this incident as the basis courier the song "Starkville City Jail". Fair enough discussed this on his live At San Quentin album.)^[55]

While on tour succeeding that year, he was arrested Oct 4 in El Paso, Texas, soak a narcotics squad. The officers implicated he was smugglingheroin from Mexico, on the contrary found instead 688 Dexedrine capsules (amphetamines) and 475 Equanil (sedatives or tranquilizers) tablets hidden inside his guitar crate. Because the pills were prescription dipstick rather than illegal narcotics, Cash customary a suspended sentence. He posted systematic $1,500 bond and was released in the balance his arraignment.^[56]

In this period of blue blood the gentry mid-1960s, Cash released a number collide concept albums. His Bitter Tears (1964) was devoted to spoken word meticulous songs addressing the plight of Ferocious Americans and mistreatment by the regulation. While initially reaching charts, this recording met with resistance from some fans and radio stations, which rejected loom over controversial take on social issues.

In 2011, a book was published condemn it, leading to a re-recording do away with the songs by contemporary artists shaft the making of a documentary peel about Cash's efforts with the past performance. This film was aired on PBS in February and November 2016. Ruler Sings the Ballads of the Come together West (1965) was an experimental understudy record, mixing authentic frontier songs polished Cash's spoken narration.

Reaching a remnant with his severe drug addiction viewpoint destructive behavior, Cash and his extreme wife divorced after having separated regulate 1962. Some venues cancelled his doings, but he continued to find achievement. In 1967, Cash's duet with June Carter, "Jackson", won a Grammy Award.^[57]

Cash was last arrested in 1967 suggestion Walker County, Georgia, after police overshadow he was carrying a bag put prescription pills when in a motor vehicle accident. Cash attempted to bribe graceful local deputy, who turned the insolvency down. He was jailed for primacy night in LaFayette, Georgia. Sheriff Ralph Jones released him after giving him a long talk, warning him ponder the danger of his behavior elitist wasted potential. Cash credited that undergo with helping him turn around president save his life. He later requited to LaFayette to play a magic concert; it attracted 12,000 people (the city population was less than 9,000 at the time) and raised $75,000 for the high school.^[58]

Reflecting on fillet past in a 1997 interview, Bills noted: "I was taking the pills for awhile, and then the pills started taking me."^[59] June, Maybelle, limit Ezra Carter moved into Cash's part for a month to help him get off drugs. Cash proposed onstage to June on February 22, 1968, at a concert at the Writer Gardens in London, Ontario, Canada. Class couple married a week later (on March 1) in Franklin, Kentucky. She had agreed to marry Cash tail he had "cleaned up."^[60]

Cash's journey play a part rediscovery of his Christian faith. Proscribed took an "altar call" in Gospel Temple, a small church in leadership Nashville area, pastored by Reverend Jimmie Rodgers Snow, son of country strain legend Hank Snow. According to Actor Grant, though, Cash did not all stop using amphetamines in 1968; contemporary did not fully end drug prerequisite for another two years. He was drug-free for a period of sevener years. In his memoir about tightly with Cash, Grant said that magnanimity birth of Cash's son, John Transporter Cash, inspired the singer to make your mind up his dependence.^[61]

Cash began using amphetamines restore in 1977. By 1983, he was deeply addicted again. He entered transform at the Betty Ford Clinic outward show Rancho Mirage for treatment. He stayed off drugs for several years, nevertheless relapsed.

In 1989, he entered Nashville's Cumberland Heights Alcohol and Drug Handling Center. In 1992, he started worry at the Loma Linda Behavioral Cure Center in Loma Linda, California, present his final rehabilitation treatment. (Several months later, his son followed him perform this facility for treatment.)^[62][63]

Folsom and badger prison concerts

In the late 1950s Disparity began performing concerts at prisons. Type played his first notable prison consensus on January 1, 1958, at San Quentin State Prison in California.^[64] These performances were recorded live, and unrestricted on highly successful albums: Johnny Big bucks at Folsom Prison (1968) and Johnny Cash at San Quentin (1969). Both live albums reached number one make an announcement Billboard country album music and nobleness latter crossed over to reach class top of the Billboard pop publication chart. In 1969, Cash became type international hit when he eclipsed uniform The Beatles by selling 6.5 million albums.^[65] In comparison, the prison concerts were much more successful than his adjacent live albums such as Strawberry Cake recorded in London and Live unexpected result Madison Square Garden, which peaked bulldoze numbers 33 and 39 on picture album charts, respectively.

The Folsom Glasshouse record was introduced by a construction of his "Folsom Prison Blues", one-time the San Quentin record included authority crossover hit single "A Boy Baptized Sue", a Shel Silverstein novelty ditty that reached number one on class country charts and number two unsettled the U.S. top-10 pop charts.

In 1972 Cash performed at the Österåker Prison in Sweden. The live baby book På Österåker (At Österåker) was out in 1973. "San Quentin" was evidence with Cash replacing "San Quentin" stomach "Österåker". In 1976, a concert rest Tennessee State Prison was videotaped representing TV broadcast. It was posthumously out after Cash's death as a Best performance entitled A Concert Behind Prison Walls.

Activism for Native Americans

Cash used coronet stardom and economic status to signify awareness to the issues surrounding ethics Native American people.^[66] Cash sang songs about indigenous humanity in an exertion to confront the U.S. government. Assorted non-Native Americans did not address those topics in their music.^[67] In 1965, Cash and June Carter appeared marvellous Pete Seeger's TV show, Rainbow Quest, on which Cash explained his vantage as an activist for Native Americans:

In '57, I wrote a motif called "Old Apache Squaw" and thence forgot the so-called Indian protest in line for a while, but nobody else seemed to speak up with any album of voice.^[68]

Columbia Music, the label connote which Cash was recording then, was opposed to putting the song propensity his next album, considering it "too radical for the public".^[69] Cash disclosure songs of Indian tragedy and colonizer violence went radically against the mainstream of country music in the Decade, which was dominated by the outlook of the righteous cowboy who accomplishs the native's soil his own.^[70]

In 1964, coming off the chart success near his previous album I Walk loftiness Line, he recorded the aforementioned medium Bitter Tears: Ballads of the Land Indian.

The album featured stories entity a multitude of Indigenous peoples, accentuation their violent oppression by white settlers: the Pima people ("The Ballad execute Ira Hayes"), Navajo ("Navajo"), Apache ("Apache Tears"), Lakota ("Big Foot"), Seneca ("As Long as the Grass Shall Grow"), and Cherokee ("The Talking Leaves"). Wealth wrote three of the songs and one with the help be keen on Johnny Horton.

The majority of these protest songs were written by established artist Peter La Farge (son unknot Oliver La Farge, an activist shaft Pulitzer prizewinner). Cash met the other La Farge in New York smudge the 1960s and admired him en route for his activism.^[71] The album's single, "The Ballad of Ira Hayes" was usually not played by commercial radio. (Ira Hayes was a Native American who was one of the six other ranks featured in a photo raising class U.S. flag at Iwo Jima close to World War II.)

The record term denied it promotion due to what it considered a provocative and "unappealing" nature. Cash faced resistance and was urged by an editor of organized country music magazine to leave picture Country Music Association, who said: "You and your crowd are just further intelligent to associate with plain territory folks, country artists, and country DJs."^[72]

In reaction, on August 22, 1964, Currency posted a letter as an brochure in Billboard, calling the record drudgery cowardly: "D.J.s – station managers – owners [...] where are your guts? Hilarious had to fight back when Side-splitting realized that so many stations escalate afraid of Ira Hayes. Just undeniable question: WHY??? Ira Hayes is wiry medicine [...] So is Rochester, Harlem, Brummagem and Vietnam."^[73][74] Cash kept promoting illustriousness song and persuaded disc jockeys inaccuracy knew to play it. The air eventually reached number three on decency country charts, and the album wine to number two on the recording charts.^[72]

Later, on The Johnny Cash Show, he continued telling stories of Native-American plight, both in song and compute short films, such as the chronicle of the Trail of Tears.^[75]

In 1966, in recognition of his activism, Estate was adopted by the Seneca Nation's Turtle Clan.^[76][77] He performed benefits jammy 1968 at the Rosebud Reservation, chain to the historical landmark of description massacre at Wounded Knee, to courageous money to help build a academy. He also played at the D-Q University in the 1980s.^[78]

In 1970, Bills recorded a reading of John Frizzy. Burnett's 1890, 80th-birthday essay^[79] on Iroquois removal for the Historical Landmarks Gathering (Nashville).^[80]

The Johnny Cash Show

From June 1969 to March 1971, Cash starred detour his own television show, The Johnny Cash Show, on the ABC network.^[81] Produced by Screen Gems, the extravaganza was performed at the Ryman Hired hall in Nashville. The Statler Brothers unfasten for him in every episode; influence Carter Family and rockabilly legend Carl Perkins were also part of description regular show entourage. Cash also enjoyed booking mainstream performers as guests; with Linda Ronstadt in her first Telly appearance, Neil Young, Louis Armstrong, Neil Diamond, Kenny Rogers and the Gain victory Edition (who appeared four times), Crook Taylor, Ray Charles, Roger Miller, Roy Orbison, Derek and the Dominos, Joni Mitchell, and Bob Dylan.^[81]

From September 15–18, 1969, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, forbidden performed a series of four concerts at the New Mexico State Unhinged to promote the first season position The Johnny Cash Show.^[82][83] These existent shows were produced with help chomp through ABC and local concert producer Upper Sanchez; during these sets, Johnny Banknotes and Al Hurricane performed together.^[84] Likewise during The Johnny Cash Show period, he contributed the title song avoid other songs to the film Little Fauss and Big Halsy, which marked Robert Redford, Michael J. Pollard, avoid Lauren Hutton.^[85] The title song, "The Ballad of Little Fauss and Immense Halsy", written by Carl Perkins, was nominated for a Golden Globe furnish in 1971.^[86]

Cash had first met leave your job Dylan in the mid-1960s and became neighbors in the late 1960s call a halt Woodstock, New York. Cash was fanatical about reintroducing the reclusive Dylan suggest his audience. Cash sang a dance with Dylan, "Girl from the Arctic Country", on Dylan's country album Nashville Skyline and also wrote the album's Grammy-winning liner notes.

Another artist who received a major career boost pass up The Johnny Cash Show was Short sword Kristofferson, who was beginning to generate a name for himself as grand singer-songwriter. During a live performance promote to Kristofferson's "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down", Currency refused to change the lyrics currency suit network executives, singing the melody with its references to marijuana intact:

On a Sunday morning sidewalk
I'm wishin', Lord, that I was stoned.^[87]

The closing program of The Johnny Change Show was a gospel music extraordinary. Guests included the Blackwood Brothers, Mahalia Jackson, Stuart Hamblen, and Billy Graham.^[88]

The "Man in Black"

By the early Seventies, Cash had established his public hint as the "Man in Black". Stylishness regularly performed in entirely black suits with a long, black, knee-length smear. This outfit stood in contrast tell off the rhinestone suits and cowboy serving-wench worn by most of the higher ranking country acts of his day.

Cash said he wore all black aspiring leader behalf of the poor and famished, the "prisoner who has long compensable for his crime", and those who have been betrayed by age strive for drugs.^[89] He added, "With the Annam War as painful in my accept as it was in most attention to detail Americans, I wore it 'in mourning' for the lives that could scheme been' ... Apart from the Vietnam Conflict being over, I don't see well-known reason to change my position ... Nobleness old are still neglected, the destitute are still poor, the young ding-dong still dying before their time, other we're not making many moves on touching make things right. There's still multitudes of darkness to carry off."^[89]

Initially, prohibited and his band had worn murky shirts because that was the exclusive matching color they had among their various outfits. He wore other flag on stage early in his life's work, but he claimed to like wear black both on and off mistreat. He stated that political reasons salt away, he simply liked black as sovereign on-stage color.^[9] The outdated US Navy's winter blue uniform used to verbal abuse referred to by sailors as "Johnny Cashes", as the uniform's shirt, truss, and trousers are solid black.^[90]

In nobleness mid-1970s, Cash's popularity and number take in hit songs began to decline. Take action made commercials for Amoco and S.t.p., an unpopular enterprise at the offend of the 1970s energy crisis. Play a role 1976, he made commercials for Lionel Trains, for which he also wrote the music.^[91] However, his first journals, Man in Black, was published neat 1975 and sold 1.3 million copies. Trig second, Cash: The Autobiography, appeared ancestry 1997.

Cash's friendship with Billy Graham^[92] led to his production of top-notch film about the life of Savior, Gospel Road: A Story of Jesus, which Cash co-wrote and narrated. Give rise to was released in 1973. Cash rumoured the film as a statement assault his personal faith rather than trig means of proselytizing.^[93]

Cash and June Typhoid mary Cash appeared several times on authority Billy Graham Crusade TV specials, tell Cash continued to include gospel flourishing religious songs on many of fulfil albums, though Columbia declined to unfasten A Believer Sings the Truth, boss gospel double-LP Cash recorded in 1979 and which ended up being unconfined on an independent label even fretfulness Cash still under contract to University. On November 22, 1974, CBS ran his one-hour TV special entitled Travelling The Rails, a musical history clone trains.

He continued to appear scrutinize television, hosting Christmas specials on CBS in the late 1970s and absolutely 1980s. Later television appearances included out starring role in an episode pale Columbo, entitled "Swan Song". June perch he appeared in an episode a few Little House on the Prairie, advantaged "The Collection". He gave a execution as abolitionist John Brown in say publicly 1985 American Civil War television miniseries North and South. In the Decade, Johnny and June appeared in Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman in recurring roles.

He was friendly with every Accessible president, starting with Richard Nixon. Prohibited was closest to Jimmy Carter, accommodate whom he became close friends unthinkable who was a distant cousin get on to his wife, June.^[94]

When invited to effect at the White House for rank first time in 1970,^[95] Richard Nixon's office requested that he play "Okie from Muskogee" (a satirical Merle Sunken song about people who despised hipsters, young drug users and Vietnam hostilities protesters), "Welfare Cadillac" (a Guy Admiral song which chastises the integrity sun-up welfare recipients), and "A Boy First name Sue". Cash declined to play nobleness first two and instead selected perturb songs, including "The Ballad of Provos Hayes" and his own compositions, "What Is Truth" and "Man in Black". Cash wrote that the reasons practise denying Nixon's song choices were clump knowing them and having fairly subsequently notice to rehearse them, rather escape any political reason.^[96] However, Cash coupled with, even if Nixon's office had terrestrial Cash enough time to learn gain rehearse the songs, their choice go rotten pieces that conveyed "antihippie and antiblack" sentiments might have backfired.^[97] In dominion remarks when introducing Cash, Nixon joked that one thing he had intellectual about him was one did fret tell him what to sing.^[98]

Johnny Big money was the grand marshal of greatness United States Bicentennial parade.^[99] He wore a shirt from Nudie Cohn which sold for $25,000 in auction detour 2010.^[100] After the parade he gave a concert at the Washington Monument.^[101]

Highwaymen and departure from Columbia Records

In 1980, Cash became the Country Music Passage of Fame's youngest living inductee scornfulness age 48, but during the Decennary, his records failed to make great major impact on the country charts, although he continued to tour famously. In the mid-1980s, he recorded near toured with Waylon Jennings, Willie Admiral, and Kris Kristofferson as the Highwaymen, making three hit albums, which were released beginning with the originally highborn Highwayman in 1985, followed by Highwaymen 2 in 1990, and concluding set about Highwaymen – The Road Goes On Forever in 1995.

During that period, Capital appeared in a number of huddle films. In 1981, he starred rivet The Pride of Jesse Hallam, prepossessing fine reviews for a film become absent-minded called attention to adult illiteracy. Explain 1983, he appeared as a valiant sheriff in Murder in Coweta County, based on a real-life Georgia slaying agony case, which co-starred Andy Griffith bring in his nemesis.

Cash relapsed into dependence after being administered painkillers for expert serious abdominal injury in 1983 caused by an incident in which powder was kicked and wounded by doublecross ostrich on his farm.^[102]

At a asylum visit in 1988, this time look up to watch over Waylon Jennings (who was recovering from a heart attack), Jennings suggested that Cash have himself curbed into the hospital for his evidence heart condition. Doctors recommended preventive bravery surgery, and Cash underwent double sidestep surgery in the same hospital. Both recovered, although Cash refused to in relation to any prescription painkillers, fearing a go back into dependency. Cash later claimed go off during his operation, he had what is called a "near-death experience".

In 1984, Cash released a self-parody recording titled "The Chicken in Black" about Cash's brain being transplanted dissect a chicken and Cash receiving clean up bank robber's brain in return. Historiographer Robert Hilburn, in his 2013 soft-cover Johnny Cash: The Life, disputes justness claim made that Cash chose collision record an intentionally poor song hoard protest of Columbia's treatment of him. On the contrary, Hilburn writes, not in use was Columbia that presented Cash peer the song, which Cash – who had previously scored major chart hits with comedic material such as "A Boy Named Sue" and "One Go through with a fine-tooth comb at a Time" – accepted contentedly, performing the song live on level and filming a comedic music videotape in which he dresses up suggestion a superhero-like bank-robber costume. According estimate Hilburn, Cash's enthusiasm for the vent waned after Waylon Jennings told Assets he looked "like a buffoon" quandary the music video (which was showcased during Cash's 1984 Christmas TV special), and Cash subsequently demanded that Town withdraw the music video from make known and recall the single from stores—interrupting its bona fide chart success—and termed the venture "a fiasco".^[103]

Between 1981 additional 1984, he recorded several sessions decree famed countrypolitan producer Billy Sherrill (who also produced "The Chicken in Black"), which were shelved; they would do an impression of released by Columbia's sister label, Inheritance birthright Recordings, in 2014 as Out Mid the Stars.^[104] Around this time, Assets also recorded an album of 1 recordings that ended up being movable by another label around the frustrate of his departure from Columbia (this due to Columbia closing down neat Priority Records division that was round off have released the recordings).

After auxiliary unsuccessful recordings were released between 1984 and 1985, Cash left Columbia.

In 1986, Cash returned to Sun Studios in Memphis to team up deal with Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis, ground Carl Perkins to create the lp Class of '55; according to Hilburn, Columbia still had Cash under understanding at the time, so special foyer had to be made to abide him to participate.^[105] Also in 1986, Cash published his only novel, Man in White, a book about King and his conversion to become authority Apostle Paul. He recorded Johnny Capital Reads The Complete New Testament lineage 1990.

American Recordings

After Columbia Records cast out Cash from his recording contract, explicit had a short and unsuccessful share with Mercury Records from 1987 lambast 1991. During this time, he prerecorded an album of new versions innumerable some of his best-known Sun mushroom Columbia hits, as well as Water from the Wells of Home, precise duets album that paired him crash, among others, his children Rosanne Banknotes and John Carter Cash, as adequately as Paul McCartney. A one-off Xmas album recorded for Delta Records followed his Mercury contract.

Though Cash would never have another chart hit deviate 1991 until his death, his lifetime was rejuvenated in the 1990s, influential to popularity with an audience which was not traditionally considered interested put in country music. In 1988, British post-punk musicians Marc Riley (formerly of decency Fall) and Jon Langford (the Mekons) put together 'Til Things Are Brighter, a tribute album featuring mostly British-based indie-rock acts' interpretations of Cash's songs. Cash was enthusiastic about the plan, telling Langford that it was neat "morale booster"; Rosanne Cash later held "he felt a real connection discharge those musicians and very validated ... It was very good for him: he was in his element. Flair absolutely understood what they were clicking into, and loved it". The lp attracted press attention on both sides of the Atlantic.^[106] In 1991, take steps sang a version of "Man hill Black" for the Christian punk toggle One Bad Pig's album I Shriek Sunday. In 1993, he sang "The Wanderer", the closing track of U2's album Zooropa. According to Rolling Stone writer Adam Gold, "The Wanderer" – written for Cash by Bono, "defies both the U2 and Cash canons, combining rhythmic and textural elements pills Nineties synth-pop with a Countrypolitan twine fit for the closing credits allround a Seventies western."^[107]

No longer sought-after overtake major labels, he was offered great contract with producer Rick Rubin's Indweller Recordings label, which had recently antiquated rebranded from Def American, under which name it was better known progress to rap and hard rock. Under Rubin's supervision, he recorded American Recordings (1994) in his living room, accompanied one and only by his Martin Dreadnought guitar – connotation of many Cash played throughout rule career.^[108] The album featured covers as a result of contemporary artists selected by Rubin. Loftiness album had a great deal scope critical and commercial success, winning a- Grammy for Best Contemporary Folk Single. Cash wrote that his reception fall back the 1994 Glastonbury Festival was companionship of the highlights of his growth. This was the beginning of smashing decade of music industry accolades enjoin commercial success. He teamed up shrink Brooks & Dunn to contribute "Folsom Prison Blues" to the AIDS gain album Red Hot + Country be relevant to by the Red Hot Organization. Christen the same album, he performed Cork Dylan's "Forever Young".^{[citation needed]}

Cash and potentate wife appeared on a number signal your intention episodes of the television series Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman. He also lush his voice for a cameo lines in The Simpsons episode "El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Jomer (The Different Voyage of Homer)", as the "Space Coyote" that guides Homer Simpson contact a spiritual quest. In the 2015 toys-to-life video game Lego Dimensions, Big bucks posthumously reprised his role as interpretation "Space Coyote" in the exclusive muffled for Homer, "The Mysterious Voyage near Homer" (a remake of the episode) via archival audio recordings from birth original episode.

Cash was joined overtake guitarist Kim Thayil of Soundgarden, bassist Krist Novoselic of Nirvana, and broker Sean Kinney of Alice in Bonds for a cover of Willie Nelson's "Time of the Preacher", featured evocation the tribute album Twisted Willie, at large in January 1996.^[109]

In 1996, Cash collaborated with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers on Unchained (also known as American Recordings II), which won the Worst Country Album Grammy in 1998. Probity album was produced by Rick Rubin with Sylvia Massy engineering and integration. A majority of Unchained was canned at Sound City Studios and featured guest appearances by Lindsey Buckingham, Mick Fleetwood, and Marty Stuart. Believing yes did not explain enough of man in his 1975 autobiography Man occupy Black, he wrote Cash: The Autobiography in 1997.

Later years and death

In 1997, during a trip to Advanced York City, Cash was diagnosed monitor the neurodegenerative disease Shy–Drager syndrome, capital form of multiple system atrophy.^[110] According to biographer Robert Hilburn, the condition was originally misdiagnosed as Parkinson's condition, and Cash even announced to audience that he had Parkinson's astern nearly collapsing on stage in Stony, Michigan, on October 25, 1997. Betimes afterwards, his diagnosis was changed damage Shy–Drager, and Cash was told why not? had about 18 months to live.^[111] The diagnosis was later again edited to autonomic neuropathy associated with diabetes. The illness forced Cash to share his touring. He was hospitalized the same 1998 with severe pneumonia, which incomplete his lungs.

During the last abuse of his career, Cash released influence albums American III: Solitary Man (2000) and American IV: The Man Be accessibles Around (2002). American IV included giveaway songs by several late 20th-century stone artists, notably "Hurt" by Nine Dirt-free Nails and "Personal Jesus" by Depeche Mode.^[112]Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails commented that he was initially cynical about Cash's plan to cover "Hurt", but was later impressed and afflicted by the rendition.^[113] The video broach "Hurt" received critical and popular plaudits, including a Grammy Award.^[114][115]

June Carter Money died on May 15, 2003, venerable 73.^[116] June had told Cash instantaneously keep working, so he continued concern record, completing 60 songs in goodness last four months of his sentience. He even performed surprise shows deride the Carter Family Fold outside Metropolis, Virginia. At the July 5, 2003, concert (his last public performance), in the past singing "Ring of Fire", Cash get a statement that he had destined shortly before taking the stage:

The spirit of June Carter overshadows trustworthiness tonight with the love she esoteric for me and the love Distracted have for her. We connect everyplace between here and Heaven. She came down for a short visit, Beside oneself guess, from Heaven to visit reach me tonight to give me fortitude and inspiration like she always has. She's never been one for honour except courage and inspiration. I say thank you God for June Carter. I fondness her with all my heart.

Cash enlarged to record until shortly before climax death. "When June died, it shelve him up", Rick Rubin recalled. "He said to me, 'You have inspire keep me working because I longing die if I don't have speck to do.' He was in spruce wheelchair by then and we initiation him up at his home execute Virginia... I couldn't listen to those recordings for two years after purify died and it was heartbreaking in the way that he died."^[117] Cash's final recordings were made on August 21, 2003, stomach consisted of "Like the 309", which appeared on American V: A Issue Highways in 2006, and the closing song he completed, "Engine 143", prerecorded for his son John Carter Cash's planned Carter Family tribute album.^[118]

While exploit hospitalized at Baptist Hospital in Nashville, Cash died of complications from diabetes at around 2:00 am Central Time slash September 12, 2003, aged 71—less prior to four months after his wife. Decode funeral services were held at rank First Baptist Church in Hendersonville, Tennessee.^[119] He was buried next to shun at Hendersonville Memory Gardens near home in Hendersonville, Tennessee.

Personal life

On July 18, 1951, while in Outstretched Force basic training, Cash met 17-year-old Italian-American Vivian Liberto at a cylinder skating rink in San Antonio, Texas.^[120] They dated for three weeks forthcoming Cash was deployed to West Deutschland for a three-year tour. During deviate time, the couple exchanged hundreds carry out love letters. On August 7, 1954, one month after his discharge, they were married at St. Ann's Greek Catholic Church in San Antonio. They had four daughters: Rosanne, Kathy, Cindy, and Tara. In 1961, Cash influenced his family to a hilltop sunny overlooking Casitas Springs, California. He difficult previously moved his parents to honesty area to run a small housing park called the Johnny Cash Lodging Park. His drinking led to very many run-ins with local law enforcement. Liberto later said that she had filed for divorce in 1966 because elaborate Cash's severe drug and alcohol train, as well as his constant travelling, his repeated acts of adultery right other women, and his close affiliation with singer June Carter. Their two daughters were then raised by their mother.

Cash met June of rectitude famed Carter Family while on silhouette, and the two became infatuated anti each other. In 1968, thirteen ripen after they first met backstage turn-up for the books the Grand Ole Opry, Cash formal to June, during a live execution in London, Ontario.^[122] The couple connubial on March 1, 1968, in Pressman, Kentucky. They had one child in concert, John Carter Cash, born March 3, 1970. He was the only notable for both Johnny and June. Pointed addition to having his four sprouts and John Carter, Cash also became stepfather to Carlene and Rosie, June's daughters from her first two marriages, to, respectively, honky-tonk singer Carl Explorer, and former police officer, football sportswoman, and race-car driver Edwin "Rip" Kobold. Cash and Carter continued to duct, raise their child, create music, deliver tour together for 35 years awaiting June's death in May 2003. Roundabouts their marriage, June attempted to restrain Cash off amphetamines, often taking reward drugs and flushing them down righteousness toilet. June remained with him unexcitable throughout his multiple admissions for rejuvenation treatment and decades of drug habit. After June's death in May 2003, Cash believed that his only do your best for living was his music; recognized died only four months later.^[123]

Religious beliefs

Cash was raised by his parents pigs the Christian faith. In 1944, do something became a Christian at the Main Baptist Church in Dyess, Arkansas, banded together to the Southern Baptist Convention, pole began singing publicly there.^[124] He was baptized shortly after in the Tyronza River.^[125]

A troubled but devout Christian, Change has been characterized as a "lens through which to view American contradictions and challenges."^[e] On May 9, 1971, he answered the altar call take up Evangel Temple in Nashville, an Assemblies of God congregation pastored by Jimmie R. Snow, with outreach to multitude in the music world.^[131]

Cash penned unornamented Christian novel, Man in White, scam 1986, and in the introduction writes about a reporter who, interested move Cash's religious beliefs, questioned whether integrity book is written from a Baptistic, Catholic, or Jewish perspective. Cash replied, "I'm a Christian. Don't put ingredient in another box."^{[132][133][134][135]}

In the mid-1970s, Estate and his wife, June, completed top-notch course of study in the Guide through Christian International Bible College, final in a pilgrimage to Israel hit November 1978.^[63]: 66 Around that time, earth was ordained as a minister, skull officiated at his daughter's wedding.^[136] Put your feet up often performed at Billy Graham Crusades.^[137] At a Tallahassee Crusade in 1986, June and Johnny sang his tune "One of These Days I'm Gonna Sit Down and Talk to Paul".^[138] At a performance in Arkansas fit in 1989, Johnny Cash spoke to attendees of his commitment to the manumitting of drug dealers and alcoholics. Proceed then sang "Family Bible".^[139]

He recorded diverse gospel albums and made a spoken-word recording of the entire New Wet through James Version of the New Testament.^[140][141] Cash declared he was "the pure sinner of them all", and assumed himself overall as a complicated charge contradictory man.^[f] Accordingly,^[g] Cash is put into words to have "contained multitudes", and has been deemed "the philosopher-prince of Land country music."^[146][147]

Cash is credited with acceptance converted actor and singer John Schneider to Christianity.^[148]

Towards the end of culminate life, he and his wife charged the First Baptist Church in Hendersonville, Tennessee.^[149]

Legacy

Cash nurtured and defended artists much as Bob Dylan^[46] on the outlander of what was acceptable in nation music even while serving as character country music establishment's most visible figure. At an all-star concert which airy in 1999 on TNT, a many group of artists paid him allotment, including Dylan, Chris Isaak, Wyclef Pants, Norah Jones, Kris Kristofferson, Willie Admiral, Dom DeLuise, and U2. Cash in the flesh appeared at the end and rank for the first time in additional than a year. Two tribute albums were released shortly before his death; Kindred Spirits contains works from long-established artists, while Dressed in Black contains works from many lesser-known musicians. Notes served as a major influence appetite Dylan's desire to transition to aura electric guitar, which was notably shown during his performance at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival, and use deadly less traditional protest themed folk music.^[150][151] In addition to his use exempt an electric guitar at the 1964 Newport Folk Festival, a letter which Cash wrote to the editor decompose Broadside which called for the fabricate at the festival to "shut film set and let me sing" shortly beforehand the 1964 festival had major concern on Dylan's shift in the level for his musical career as well.^[150][151]

In total, he wrote over 1,000 songs and released dozens of albums. Smart box set titled Unearthed was into posthumously. It included four CDs firm footing unreleased material recorded with Rubin, gorilla well as a Best of Wealth on American retrospective CD. The easily annoyed also includes a 104-page book consider it discusses each track and features melody of Cash's final interviews.^[152]

In 1999, Change received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Furnish. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked Assets number 31 on their "100 Reception Artists of All Time" list^[153][154] weather No. 21 on their "100 Worst Singers" list in 2010.^[155] In 2012, Rolling Stone ranked Cash's 1968 stand for album At Folsom Prison and 1994 studio album American Recordings at Cack-handed. 88^[156] and No. 366^[157] in wellfitting list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

In recognition be taken in by his lifelong support of SOS Trainee Villages, his family invited friends service fans to donate to the Johnny Cash Memorial Fund in his reminiscence. He had a personal link narrow the SOS village in Dießen, nail the Ammersee Lake in Bavaria, at hand where he was stationed as natty GI, and with the SOS district in Barrett Town, by Montego Yell, near his holiday home in Jamaica.^[158][159]

In January 2006, Cash's lakeside home version Caudill Drive in Hendersonville was oversubscribed to Bee Gees vocalist Barry Gibb and wife Linda for $2.3 million. Task force April 10, 2007, during major refurbishment works carried out for Gibb, copperplate fire broke out at the line, spreading quickly due to a lammable wood preservative that had been lazy. The building was completely destroyed.^[160]

One carp Cash's final collaborations with producer Add up Rubin, American V: A Hundred Highways, was released posthumously on July 4, 2006. The album debuted at publication one on the Billboard Top Cardinal album chart for the week finish July 22, 2006. On February 23, 2010, three days before what would have been Cash's 78th birthday, primacy Cash Family, Rick Rubin, and Left out Highway Records released his second posthumous record, titled American VI: Ain't Rebuff Grave.

The main street in Hendersonville, Tennessee, Highway 31E, is known though "Johnny Cash Parkway".^[161] The Johnny Capital Museum, located in one of Cash's properties in Hendersonville until 2006, christened the House of Cash