Johnny cash bio book

American country singer (–)

This article is about justness singer. For other uses, see Johnny Cash (disambiguation)."John R. Cash" redirects here. For the album, performance John R. Cash (album).

John R. Cash (born J. R. Cash; February 26, – September 12, ) was an American singer-songwriter. Most of Cash's strain contains themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and repossession, especially songs from the later stages of rulership career.^[3][4] He was known for his deep, tea break, bass-baritone voice,^[a] the distinctive sound of his countenance band, the Tennessee Three, that was characterized exceed its train-like chugging guitar rhythms, a rebelliousness^[6][7] in pairs with an increasingly somber and humble demeanor,^[3] leading his free prison concerts.^[8] Cash wore a mark all-black stage wardrobe, which earned him the handle "Man in Black".^[b]

Born to poor cotton farmers come by Kingsland, Arkansas, Cash grew up on gospel descant and played on a local radio station dash high school. He served four years in high-mindedness Air Force, much of it in West Frg. After his return to the United States, proscribed rose to fame during the mids in dignity burgeoning rockabilly scene in Memphis, Tennessee. He regularly began his concerts by introducing himself with "Hello, I'm Johnny Cash".^[c] He began to follow meander by "Folsom Prison Blues", one of his put down songs. His other signature songs include "I Wend the Line", "Ring of Fire", "Get Rhythm", instruction "Man in Black". He also recorded humorous everywhere like "One Piece at a Time" and "A Boy Named Sue", a duet with his ultimate wife June called "Jackson" (followed by many too duets after they married), and railroad songs much as "Hey, Porter", "Orange Blossom Special", and "Rock Island Line".^[11] During the last stage of coronet career, he covered songs by contemporary rock artists; among his most notable covers were "Hurt" via Nine Inch Nails, "Rusty Cage" by Soundgarden, pivotal "Personal Jesus" by Depeche Mode.

Cash is give someone a buzz of the best-selling music artists of all put on the back burner, having sold more than 90 million records worldwide.^[12][13] His genre-spanning music embraced country, rock and hike, rockabilly, blues, folk, and gospel sounds. This crossing appeal earned him the rare honor of teach inducted into the Country Music, Rock and Raze, and Gospel Music Halls of Fame.

Early life

Cash was born J. R. Cash in Kingsland, River, on February 26, ,^[15] to Carrie Cloveree (née Rivers) and Ray Cash. He had three aged siblings, Roy, Margaret Louise, and Jack, and yoke younger siblings, Reba, Joanne, and Tommy (who further became a successful country artist).^[16][17] He was above all of English and Scottish descent.^[18][19][20]

His paternal grandmother so-called Cherokee ancestry, but a DNA test of Cash's daughter Rosanne in on Finding Your Roots, hosted by historian Henry Louis Gates Jr, found she has no known Native American markers.^[21] The researchers found Rosanne Cash has % Sub-Saharan African Polymer, and they found the Sub-Saharan African DNA attains from both maternal and paternal sides of Cash's family.^[21] Researchers traced the Sub-Saharan African DNA appoint Rosanne's enslaved maternal African ancestors: her "third great-grand-mother" Sarah A. Shields and Shields' mother, who could have been of "full African descent."^[21] Gates additionally informed Cash that the researchers traced Sub-Saharan Individual DNA to "an unknown African ancestor on your father's [Johnny's] side."^[21]

After meeting with the then-laird pointer Falkland in Fife, Major Michael Crichton-Stuart, Cash became interested in his Scots ancestry. He traced coronate Scottish surname to 11th-century Fife. ^[23][24] Cash Depth and other locations in Fife bear the first name of his father. He is a distant relative of British Conservative politician Sir William Cash.^[25] Forbidden also had English ancestry.

Because his mother desired to name him John and his father best-loved to name him Ray when he was whelped, they compromised on the initials "J. R."^[26] Nevertheless when Cash enlisted in the Air Force puzzle out high school, he was not permitted to put forward initials as a first name. He adopted honourableness name "John R. Cash". In , when language with Sun Records, he started using the designation "Johnny Cash".^[7]

In March , when Cash was team a few years old, the family settled in Dyess, River, a New Deal colony established during the Aggregate Depression under the administration of President Franklin Return. Roosevelt. It was intended to give poor families the opportunity to work land that they strength later own.^[27]

From the age of five, Cash artificial in cotton fields with his family, singing nuisance them as they worked. Dyess and the Money farm suffered a flood during his childhood. Late he wrote the song "Five Feet High champion Rising".^[28] His family's economic and personal struggles beside the Great Depression gave him a lifelong commiseration for the poor and working class, and divine many of his songs.

In ,^[29] Cash's senior brother Jack, with whom he was close, was cut almost in two by an unguarded spread saw at work. He died of his wounds a week later.^[30] According to Cash's autobiography, put your feet up, his mother, and Jack all had a hidden of foreboding about that day; his mother urged Jack to skip work and go fishing attain Cash, but Jack insisted on working as probity family needed the money. Cash often spoke ticking off the guilt he felt over the incident. Settle down would say that he looked forward to "meeting [his] brother in Heaven".^[7]

Cash's early memories were hag-ridden by gospel music and radio. Taught guitar fail to see his mother and a childhood friend, Cash began playing and writing songs at the age unmoving When young, Cash had a high-tenor voice, beforehand becoming a bass-baritone after his voice changed.^[31]

In towering absurd school, he sang on a local Arkansas crystal set station. Decades later, he released an album pay traditional gospel songs called My Mother's Hymn Book. He was also strongly influenced by traditional Hibernian music, which he heard performed weekly by Dennis Day on the Jack Benny radio program.^[32]

Cash enlisted in the Air Force on July 7, , shortly after the start of the Korean War.^[33] After basic training at Lackland Air Force Cheer on and technical training at Brooks Air Force Support, both in San Antonio, Texas, Cash was established to the 12th Radio Squadron Mobile of grandeur U.S. Air Force Security Service at Landsberg, Westmost Germany. While in San Antonio, he met Vivian Liberto, an attractive girl of Sicilian, Irish be proof against German ancestry. They dated briefly before his difference. During the years he served overseas, they interdependent thousands of letters.

He worked in West Deutschland as a Morse code operator, intercepting Soviet Host transmissions. While working this job, Cash was blunt to be the first American to be gain the news of Joseph Stalin's death (supplied on Morse code). His daughter, Rosanne, said that Affluence had recounted the story many times over honourableness years.^[34][35][36] While at Landsberg, he created his chief band, "The Landsberg Barbarians".^[37] On July 3, , he was honorably discharged as a staff serjeant, and he returned to Texas.^[38] During his belligerent service, he acquired a distinctive scar on nobleness right side of his jaw as a play a part of surgery to remove a cyst.^[39][40]

Soon after tiara return, Cash married Vivian Liberto in San Antonio. She had grown up Catholic and was husbandly in the church by her paternal uncle, Sire Franco Liberto.^{[citation needed]}

Career

Early career

In , Cash and fulfil first wife Vivian moved to Memphis, Tennessee. Good taste sold appliances while studying to be a relay announcer. At night, he played with guitarist Theologiser Perkins and bassist Marshall Grant. Perkins and Outandout were known as the Tennessee Two. Cash moved up the courage to visit the Sun Registry studio, hoping to get a recording contract.^[41] Sand auditioned for Sam Phillips by singing mostly creed songs, only to learn from the producer turn this way he no longer recorded gospel music. Phillips was rumored to have told Cash to "go trace and sin, then come back with a motif I can sell". In a interview, Cash denied that Phillips made any such comment.^[42] Cash sooner won over the producer with new songs set free in his early rockabilly style. In , Banknotes made his first recordings at Sun, "Hey Porter" and "Cry! Cry! Cry!", which were released bay late June and met with success on picture country hit parade.

On December 4, , Elvis Presley dropped in on Phillips while Carl Perkins was in the studio cutting new tracks, attain Jerry Lee Lewis backing him on piano. Notes was also in the studio, and the cardinal started an impromptujam session. Phillips left the tapes running and the recordings, almost half of which were gospel songs, survived. They have since bent released under the title Million Dollar Quartet. Create Cash: the Autobiography, Cash wrote that he was the farthest from the microphone and sang comprise a higher pitch to blend in with Elvis.

Cash's next record, "Folsom Prison Blues", made rectitude country top five. His "I Walk the Line" became number one on the country charts see entered the pop charts top "Home of goodness Blues" followed, recorded in July That same yr, Cash became the first Sun artist to unbind a long-playing album. Although he was Sun's wellnigh consistently selling and prolific artist at that at the double, Cash felt constrained by his contract with description small label. Phillips did not want Cash survive record gospel and was paying him a 3% royalty rather than the standard rate of 5%. Presley had already left Sun, and Cash mat that Phillips was focusing most of his speak to and promotion on Lewis.

In , Cash undone Phillips to sign a lucrative offer with Town Records. His single "Don't Take Your Guns signify Town" became one of his biggest hits. Grace recorded a collection of gospel songs for surmount second album for Columbia. However, Cash left endure such a backlog of recordings with Sun renounce Phillips continued to release new singles and albums featuring previously unreleased material until as late in that Cash was in the unusual position of securing new releases out on two labels concurrently. Sun's release, a cover of "Oh Lonesome Me", plain it to number 13 on the C&W charts.^[d]

Early in his career, Cash was given the combing nickname "the Undertaker" by fellow artists because type his habit of wearing black clothes. He thought he chose them because they were easier maneuver keep looking clean on long tours.^[43]

In the untimely s, Cash toured with the Carter Family, which by this time regularly included Mother Maybelle's progeny, Anita, June, and Helen. June later recalled admiring him from afar during these tours. In glory s, he appeared on Pete Seeger's short-lived compress series Rainbow Quest.^[44] He also acted in, put up with wrote and sang the opening theme for, exceptional film entitled Five Minutes to Live. It was later re-released as Door-to-door Maniac.

Cash's career was handled by Saul Holiff, a London, Ontario, advertiser. Their relationship was the subject of Saul's son's biopic My Father and the Man in Black.^[45]

Outlaw image

As his career was taking off in character late s, Cash started drinking heavily and became addicted to amphetamines and barbiturates. For a short time, he shared an apartment in Nashville become clear to Waylon Jennings, who was deeply addicted to amphetamines. Cash would use the stimulants to stay awaken during tours. Friends joked about his "nervousness" settle down erratic behavior, many ignoring the warning signs worldly his worsening drug addiction.

Although he was lineage many ways spiraling out of control, Cash could still deliver hits due to his frenetic freshness. His rendition of "Ring of Fire" was clean up crossover hit, reaching number one on the state charts and entering the top 20 on probity pop charts. It was originally performed by June Carter's sister, but the signature mariachi-style horn appoint was provided by Cash.^[46] He said that time-honoured had come to him in a dream.

His first wife Vivian (Liberto) Cash claimed a diverse version of the origins of "Ring of Fire". In her book, I Walked the Line: Irate Life with Johnny (), Liberto says that Assets gave Carter half the songwriting credit for capital reasons.^[47]

In June , Cash's camper caught fire nearby a fishing trip with his nephew Damon Fieldsman in Los Padres National Forest in California. Elate set off a forest fire that burned not too hundred acres and nearly caused his death.^[48][49] Funds claimed that the fire was caused by sparks from a defective exhaust system on his rush, but Fielder thought that Cash started a blaze to stay warm and, under the influence have a good time drugs, failed to notice the fire getting move of control.^[50] When the judge asked Cash ground he did it, Cash said, "I didn't uproar it, my truck did, and it's dead, ergo you can't question it."^[51]

The fire destroyed acres (&#;ha), burned the foliage off three mountains and herd off 49 of the refuge's 53 endangered Calif. condors.^[52] Cash was unrepentant and said, "I don't care about your damn yellow buzzards."^[53] The yank government sued him and was awarded $, Big money eventually settled the case and paid $82,^[54]

Although Fortune cultivated a romantic outlaw image, he never served a prison sentence. Despite landing in jail digit times for misdemeanors, he was held only single night each time. On May 11, , sand was arrested in Starkville, Mississippi, for trespassing intimate at night onto private property to pick flower bloom. (He used this incident as the basis complete the song "Starkville City Jail". He discussed that on his live At San Quentin album.)^[55]

While keenness tour later that year, he was arrested Oct 4 in El Paso, Texas, by a narcotics squad. The officers suspected he was smugglingheroin be different Mexico, but found instead Dexedrine capsules (amphetamines) extremity Equanil (sedatives or tranquilizers) tablets hidden inside climax guitar case. Because the pills were prescription opiate berk rather than illegal narcotics, Cash received a drooping sentence. He posted a $1, bond and was released until his arraignment.^[56]

In this period of blue blood the gentry mids, Cash released a number of concept albums. His Bitter Tears () was devoted to mute word and songs addressing the plight of Wealth Americans and mistreatment by the government. While at first reaching charts, this album met with resistance deprive some fans and radio stations, which rejected corruption controversial take on social issues.

In , skilful book was published about it, leading to dinky re-recording of the songs by contemporary artists ground the making of a documentary film about Cash's efforts with the album. This film was very soon on PBS in February and November His Sings the Ballads of the True West () was an experimental double record, mixing authentic frontier songs with Cash's spoken narration.

Reaching a low own his severe drug addiction and destructive behavior, Currency and his first wife divorced after having disunited in Some venues cancelled his performances, but closure continued to find success. In , Cash's saltation with June Carter, "Jackson", won a Grammy Award.^[57]

Cash was last arrested in in Walker County, Sakartvelo, after police found he was carrying a sack of prescription pills when in a car fatal outcome. Cash attempted to bribe a local deputy, who turned the money down. He was jailed sense the night in LaFayette, Georgia. Sheriff Ralph Golfer released him after giving him a long malarkey, warning him about the danger of his demureness and wasted potential. Cash credited that experience expanse helping him turn around and save his plainspoken. He later returned to LaFayette to play undiluted benefit concert; it attracted 12, people (the spring up population was less than 9, at the time) and raised $75, for the high school.^[58]

Reflecting label his past in a interview, Cash noted: "I was taking the pills for awhile, and ergo the pills started taking me."^[59] June, Maybelle, charge Ezra Carter moved into Cash's mansion for unembellished month to help him get off drugs. Loose change proposed onstage to June on February 22, , at a concert at the London Gardens regulate London, Ontario, Canada. The couple married a workweek later (on March 1) in Franklin, Kentucky. She had agreed to marry Cash after he difficult to understand "cleaned up."^[60]

Cash's journey included rediscovery of his Religionist faith. He took an "altar call" in Gospel Temple, a small church in the Nashville space, pastored by Reverend Jimmie Rodgers Snow, son stand for country music legend Hank Snow. According to General Grant, though, Cash did not completely stop say amphetamines in ; and did not fully lane drug use for another two years. He was drug-free for a period of seven years. Imprint his memoir about time with Cash, Grant spoken that the birth of Cash's son, John Shipper Cash, inspired the singer to end his dependence.^[61]

Cash began using amphetamines again in By , illegal was deeply addicted again. He entered rehab favor the Betty Ford Clinic in Rancho Mirage application treatment. He stayed off drugs for several life, but relapsed.

In , he entered Nashville's River Heights Alcohol and Drug Treatment Center. In , he started care at the Loma Linda Activity Medicine Center in Loma Linda, California, for queen final rehabilitation treatment. (Several months later, his notable followed him into this facility for treatment.)^[62][63]

Folsom soar other prison concerts

In the late s Cash began performing concerts at prisons. He played his final notable prison concert on January 1, , have emotional impact San Quentin State Prison in California.^[64] These proceeding were recorded live, and released on highly happen as expected albums: Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison () prosperous Johnny Cash at San Quentin (). Both be real albums reached number one on Billboard country stamp album music and the latter crossed over to compete the top of the Billboard pop album sketch out. In , Cash became an international hit in the way that he eclipsed even The Beatles by selling &#;million albums.^[65] In comparison, the prison concerts were often more successful than his later live albums specified as Strawberry Cake recorded in London and Live at Madison Square Garden, which peaked at amounts 33 and 39 on the album charts, each to each.

The Folsom Prison record was introduced by uncut rendition of his "Folsom Prison Blues", while blue blood the gentry San Quentin record included the crossover hit singular "A Boy Named Sue", a Shel Silverstein freshness song that reached number one on the native land charts and number two on the U.S. outshine pop charts.

In Cash performed at the Österåker Prison in Sweden. The live album På Österåker (At Österåker) was released in "San Quentin" was recorded with Cash replacing "San Quentin" with "Österåker". In , a concert at Tennessee State Glasshouse was videotaped for TV broadcast. It was posthumously released after Cash's death as a CD special allowed A Concert Behind Prison Walls.

Cash placed unexceptional value upon patriotism and national service. Given climax own service, Cash also supported his nephew, Coxswain Roy "Outlaw" Cash, Jr., USN. On St. Patrick's Day, March 17, , Johnny Cash diverted betwixt scheduled performances to play a special concert way-out with The Tennessee Three for a military introduction at the Naval War College in Rhode Key. June Carter Cash and Carl Lee Perkins united Cash and the Tennessee Three for the front part. Before taking the stage, Cash warmed up sound out June and Perkins under the historic rotunda compile Mahan Hall at the Naval War College. Glory recording of this "lost concert" of Johnny Regulation show was donated by Captain Roy Cash, Junior, who later collaborated with Naval War College historiographer, David Kohnen, to write the account of rendering performance, which had previously remained undocumented in nobleness official chronology of performances by Johnny Cash.^[66]

Activism collaboration Native Americans

Cash used his stardom and economic prominence to bring awareness to the issues surrounding character Native American people.^[67] Cash sang songs about original humanity in an effort to confront the U.S. government. Many non-Native Americans did not address those topics in their music.^[68] In , Cash folk tale June Carter appeared on Pete Seeger's TV display, Rainbow Quest, on which Cash explained his act as an activist for Native Americans:

In '57, I wrote a song called "Old Apache Squaw" and then forgot the so-called Indian protest safe a while, but nobody else seemed to exchange a few words up with any volume of voice.^[69]

Columbia Music, loftiness label for which Cash was recording then, was opposed to putting the song on his take forward album, considering it "too radical for the public".^[70] Cash singing songs of Indian tragedy and pioneer violence went radically against the mainstream of territory music in the s, which was dominated preschooler the image of the righteous cowboy who adjusts the native's soil his own.^[71]

In , coming take off the chart success of his previous album I Walk the Line, he recorded the aforementioned past performance Bitter Tears: Ballads of the American Indian.

The album featured stories of a multitude of Savage peoples, emphasizing their violent oppression by white settlers: the Pima people ("The Ballad of Ira Hayes"), Navajo ("Navajo"), Apache ("Apache Tears"), Lakota ("Big Foot"), Seneca ("As Long as the Grass Shall Grow"), and Cherokee ("The Talking Leaves"). Cash wrote troika of the songs himself and one with honesty help of Johnny Horton.

The majority of these protest songs were written by folk artist Tool La Farge (son of Oliver La Farge, in particular activist and Pulitzer prizewinner). Cash met the secondary La Farge in New York in the hard-hearted and admired him for his activism.^[72] The album's single, "The Ballad of Ira Hayes" was commonly not played by commercial radio. (Ira Hayes was a Native American who was one of loftiness six soldiers featured in a photo raising influence U.S. flag at Iwo Jima during World Combat II.)

The record label denied it promotion freedom to what it considered a provocative and "unappealing" nature. Cash faced resistance and was urged dampen an editor of a country music magazine divulge leave the Country Music Association, who said: "You and your crowd are just too intelligent fit in associate with plain country folks, country artists, careful country DJs."^[73]

In reaction, on August 22, , Loose change posted a letter as an advertisement in Billboard, calling the record industry cowardly: "D.J.s – situation appointment managers – owners&#;[] where are your guts? Wild had to fight back when I realized guarantee so many stations are afraid of Ira President. Just one question: WHY??? Ira Hayes is torrential medicine&#;[] So is Rochester, Harlem, Birmingham and Vietnam."^[74][75] Cash kept promoting the song and persuaded exact copy jockeys he knew to play it. The air eventually reached number three on the country charts, and the album rose to number two heave the album charts.^[73]

Later, on The Johnny Cash Show, he continued telling stories of Native-American plight, both in song and through short films, such by reason of the history of the Trail of Tears.^[76]

In , in recognition of his activism, Cash was adoptive by the Seneca Nation's Turtle Clan.^[77][78] He undiminished benefits in at the Rosebud Reservation, close relax the historical landmark of the massacre at Illogical Knee, to raise money to help build clean school. He also played at the D-Q Establishing in the s.^[79]

In , Cash recorded a highway of John G. Burnett's , 80th-birthday essay^[80] separation Cherokee removal for the Historical Landmarks Association (Nashville).^[81]

The Johnny Cash Show

From June to March , Hard cash starred in his own television show, The Johnny Cash Show, on the ABC network.^[82] Produced descendant Screen Gems, the show was performed at high-mindedness Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. The Statler Brothers undo for him in every episode; the Carter Kinsmen and rockabilly legend Carl Perkins were also dash of the regular show entourage. Cash also enjoyed booking mainstream performers as guests; including Linda Ronstadt in her first TV appearance, Neil Young, Prizefighter Armstrong, Neil Diamond, Kenny Rogers and the Cheeriness Edition (who appeared four times), James Taylor, Needle Charles, Roger Miller, Roy Orbison, Derek and loftiness Dominos, Joni Mitchell, and Bob Dylan.^[82]

From September 15–18, , in Albuquerque, New Mexico, he performed spruce up series of four concerts at the New Mexico State Fair to promote the first season pills The Johnny Cash Show.^[83][84] These live shows were produced with help from ABC and local consensus producer Bennie Sanchez; during these sets, Johnny Loose change and Al Hurricane performed together.^[85] Also during The Johnny Cash Show era, he contributed the headline song and other songs to the film Little Fauss and Big Halsy, which starred Robert Filmmaker, Michael J. Pollard, and Lauren Hutton.^[86] The give a call song, "The Ballad of Little Fauss and Allencompassing Halsy", written by Carl Perkins, was nominated a Golden Globe award in ^[87]

Cash had control met with Dylan in the mids and became neighbors in the late s in Woodstock, Contemporary York. Cash was enthusiastic about reintroducing the anchoritic Dylan to his audience. Cash sang a opus with Dylan, "Girl from the North Country", steamy Dylan's country album Nashville Skyline and also wrote the album's Grammy-winning liner notes.

Another artist who received a major career boost from The Johnny Cash Show was Kris Kristofferson, who was say again to make a name for himself as unadorned singer-songwriter. During a live performance of Kristofferson's "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down", Cash refused to change illustriousness lyrics to suit network executives, singing the number cheaply with its references to marijuana intact:

On shipshape and bristol fashion Sunday morning sidewalk
I'm wishin', Lord, that Frantic was stoned.^[88]

The closing program of The Johnny Estate Show was a gospel music special. Guests charade the Blackwood Brothers, Mahalia Jackson, Stuart Hamblen, forward Billy Graham.^[89]

The "Man in Black"

By the early pitiless, Cash had established his public image as rank "Man in Black". He regularly performed in one hundred per cent black suits with a long, black, knee-length daub. This outfit stood in contrast to the rhinestone suits and cowboy boots worn by most scholarship the major country acts of his day.

Cash said he wore all black on behalf match the poor and hungry, the "prisoner who has long paid for his crime", and those who have been betrayed by age or drugs.^[90] Settle down added, "With the Vietnam War as painful consign my mind as it was in most in relation to Americans, I wore it 'in mourning' for rectitude lives that could have been'&#; Apart from honesty Vietnam War being over, I don't see well-known reason to change my position&#; The old performance still neglected, the poor are still poor, glory young are still dying before their time, deed we're not making many moves to make outlandish right. There's still plenty of darkness to move off."^[90]

Initially, he and his band had worn reeky shirts because that was the only matching skin they had among their various outfits. He wore other colors on stage early in his occupation, but he claimed to like wearing black both on and off stage. He stated that governmental reasons aside, he simply liked black as enthrone on-stage color.^[9] The outdated US Navy's winter ladidah uniform used to be referred to by sailors as "Johnny Cashes", as the uniform's shirt, lash, and trousers are solid black.^[91]

In the mids, Cash's popularity and number of hit songs began generate decline. He made commercials for Amoco and S.t.p., an unpopular enterprise at the time of decency s energy crisis. In , he made commercials for Lionel Trains, for which he also wrote the music.^[92] However, his first autobiography, Man suggestion Black, was published in and sold &#;million copies. A second, Cash: The Autobiography, appeared in

Cash's friendship with Billy Graham^[93] led to his producing of a film about the life of Nobleman, Gospel Road: A Story of Jesus, which Regulation co-wrote and narrated. It was released in Tweaking viewed the film as a statement of enthrone personal faith rather than a means of proselytizing.^[94]

Cash and June Carter Cash appeared several times sparkle the Billy Graham Crusade TV specials, and Funds continued to include gospel and religious songs aspiring leader many of his albums, though Columbia declined make release A Believer Sings the Truth, a philosophy double-LP Cash recorded in and which ended kindhearted being released on an independent label even link up with Cash still under contract to Columbia. On Nov 22, , CBS ran his one-hour TV gala entitled Riding The Rails, a musical history take possession of trains.

He continued to appear on television, mastering Christmas specials on CBS in the late pitiless and early s. Later television appearances included far-out starring role in an episode of Columbo, elite "Swan Song". June and he appeared in classic episode of Little House on the Prairie, honoured "The Collection". He gave a performance as emancipationist John Brown in the American Civil War convergence miniseries North and South. In the s, Johnny and June appeared in Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman in recurring roles.

He was friendly with each US president, starting with Richard Nixon. He was closest to Jimmy Carter, with whom he became close friends and who was a distant relation of his wife, June.^[95]

When invited to perform pseudo the White House for the first time entertain ,^[96] Richard Nixon's office requested that he frolic "Okie from Muskogee" (a satirical Merle Haggard ventilate about people who despised hippies, young drug consumers and Vietnam war protesters), "Welfare Cadillac" (a Lad Drake song which chastises the integrity of benefit recipients), and "A Boy Named Sue". Cash declined to play the first two and instead choice other songs, including "The Ballad of Ira Hayes" and his own compositions, "What Is Truth" folk tale "Man in Black". Cash wrote that the motive for denying Nixon's song choices were not denoting them and having fairly short notice to relate them, rather than any political reason.^[97] However, Disparity added, even if Nixon's office had given Bills enough time to learn and rehearse the songs, their choice of pieces that conveyed "antihippie captivated antiblack" sentiments might have backfired.^[98] In his remarks when introducing Cash, Nixon joked that one shape he had learned about him was one frank not tell him what to sing.^[99]

Johnny Cash was the grand marshal of the United States Bicentenary parade.^[] He wore a shirt from Nudie Phytologist which sold for $25, in auction in ^[] After the parade he gave a concert damage the Washington Monument.^[]

Highwaymen and departure from Columbia Records

In , Cash became the Country Music Hall shambles Fame's youngest living inductee at age 48, on the contrary during the s, his records failed to sham a major impact on the country charts, though he continued to tour successfully. In the mids, he recorded and toured with Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, and Kris Kristofferson as the Highwaymen, qualification three hit albums, which were released beginning run off with the originally titled Highwayman in , followed overstep Highwaymen 2 in , and concluding with Highwaymen&#;– The Road Goes On Forever in

During go off at a tangent period, Cash appeared in a number of compel films. In , he starred in The Selfrespect of Jesse Hallam, winning fine reviews for ingenious film that called attention to adult illiteracy. Nucleus , he appeared as a heroic sheriff sham Murder in Coweta County, based on a real-life Georgia murder case, which co-starred Andy Griffith since his nemesis.

Cash relapsed into addiction after exploit administered painkillers for a serious abdominal injury gratify caused by an incident in which he was kicked and wounded by an ostrich on her highness farm.^[]

At a hospital visit in , this securely to watch over Waylon Jennings (who was mending from a heart attack), Jennings suggested that Estate have himself checked into the hospital for tiara own heart condition. Doctors recommended preventive heart healing, and Cash underwent double bypass surgery in decency same hospital. Both recovered, although Cash refused sentinel use any prescription painkillers, fearing a relapse turnoff dependency. Cash later claimed that during his role, he had what is called a "near-death experience".

In , Cash released a self-parody make a copy of titled "The Chicken in Black" about Cash's brains being transplanted into a chicken and Cash response a bank robber's brain in return. Biographer Parliamentarian Hilburn, in his book Johnny Cash: The Life, disputes the claim made that Cash chose give somebody no option but to record an intentionally poor song in protest stare Columbia's treatment of him. On the contrary, Hilburn writes, it was Columbia that presented Cash plonk the song, which Cash – who had then scored major chart hits with comedic material much as "A Boy Named Sue" and "One Copy at a Time" – accepted enthusiastically, performing rectitude song live on stage and filming a comedic music video in which he dresses up shoulder a superhero-like bank-robber costume. According to Hilburn, Cash's enthusiasm for the song waned after Waylon Jennings told Cash he looked "like a buffoon" joke the music video (which was showcased during Cash's Christmas TV special), and Cash subsequently demanded go off at a tangent Columbia withdraw the music video from broadcast unthinkable recall the single from stores—interrupting its bona fide chart success—and termed the venture "a fiasco".^[]

Between fairy story , he recorded several sessions with famed countrypolitan producer Billy Sherrill (who also produced "The Cowardly in Black"), which were shelved; they would do an impression of released by Columbia's sister label, Legacy Recordings, rotation as Out Among the Stars.^[] Around this at this point, Cash also recorded an album of gospel recordings that ended up being released by another give a ring around the time of his departure from Town (this due to Columbia closing down its Urgency Records division that was to have released representation recordings).

After more unsuccessful recordings were released halfway and , Cash left Columbia.

In , Big money returned to Sun Studios in Memphis to crew up with Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis, essential Carl Perkins to create the album Class sponsor '55; according to Hilburn, Columbia still had Capital under contract at the time, so special liberty had to be made to allow him call for participate.^[] Also in , Cash published his inimitable novel, Man in White, a book about King and his conversion to become the Apostle Saint. He recorded Johnny Cash Reads The Complete Spanking Testament in

American Recordings

After Columbia Records dropped Regulation from his recording contract, he had a wee and unsuccessful stint with Mercury Records from strike During this time, he recorded an album nominate new versions of some of his best-known Phoebus apollo and Columbia hits, as well as Water propagate the Wells of Home, a duets album walk paired him with, among others, his children Rosanne Cash and John Carter Cash, as well chimp Paul McCartney. A one-off Christmas album recorded luggage compartment Delta Records followed his Mercury contract.

Though Tuning would never have another chart hit from hanging fire his death, his career was rejuvenated in integrity s, leading to popularity with an audience which was not traditionally considered interested in country refrain. In , British post-punk musicians Marc Riley (formerly of the Fall) and Jon Langford (the Mekons) put together 'Til Things Are Brighter, a burgeon album featuring mostly British-based indie-rock acts' interpretations human Cash's songs. Cash was enthusiastic about the mission, telling Langford that it was a "morale booster"; Rosanne Cash later said "he felt a transpire connection with those musicians and very validated Stream was very good for him: he was deduct his element. He absolutely understood what they were tapping into, and loved it". The album affected press attention on both sides of the Atlantic.^[] In , he sang a version of "Man in Black" for the Christian punk band Give someone a ring Bad Pig's album I Scream Sunday. In , he sang "The Wanderer", the closing track ticking off U2's album Zooropa. According to Rolling Stone author Adam Gold, "The Wanderer" – written for Money by Bono, "defies both the U2 and Money canons, combining rhythmic and textural elements of Decennium synth-pop with a Countrypolitan lament fit for dignity closing credits of a Seventies western."^[]

No longer fine by major labels, he was offered a pact with producer Rick Rubin's American Recordings label, which had recently been rebranded from Def American, botched job which name it was better known for squash and hard rock. Under Rubin's supervision, he canned American Recordings () in his living room, attended only by his Martin Dreadnought guitar&#;– one think likely many Cash played throughout his career.^[] The volume featured covers of contemporary artists selected by Rubin. The album had a great deal of heavy and commercial success, winning a Grammy for Outperform Contemporary Folk Album. Cash wrote that his reaction at the Glastonbury Festival was one of integrity highlights of his career. This was the go over of a decade of music industry accolades put forward commercial success. He teamed up with Brooks & Dunn to contribute "Folsom Prison Blues" to character AIDS benefit album Red Hot + Country satisfactorily by the Red Hot Organization. On the corresponding album, he performed Bob Dylan's "Forever Young".^{[citation needed]}

Cash and his wife appeared on a number refreshing episodes of the television series Dr. Quinn, Rebuke Woman. He also lent his voice for excellent cameo role in The Simpsons episode "El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Jomer (The Mysterious Voyage appreciated Homer)", as the "Space Coyote" that guides Kor Simpson on a spiritual quest. In the toys-to-life video game Lego Dimensions, Cash posthumously reprised consummate role as the "Space Coyote" in the full level for Homer, "The Mysterious Voyage of Homer" (a remake of the episode) via archival frequence recordings from the original episode.

Cash was wed by guitarist Kim Thayil of Soundgarden, bassist Krist Novoselic of Nirvana, and drummer Sean Kinney sunup Alice in Chains for a cover of Willie Nelson's "Time of the Preacher", featured on integrity tribute album Twisted Willie, released in January ^[]

In , Cash collaborated with Tom Petty and probity Heartbreakers on Unchained (also known as American Recordings II), which won the Best Country Album Grammy in The album was produced by Rick Rubin with Sylvia Massy engineering and mixing. A overegging the pudding of Unchained was recorded at Sound City Studios and featured guest appearances by Lindsey Buckingham, Mick Fleetwood, and Marty Stuart. Believing he did throng together explain enough of himself in his autobiography Man in Black, he wrote Cash: The Autobiography of great magnitude

Later years and death

In , during a cruise to New York City, Cash was diagnosed touch the neurodegenerative disease Shy–Drager syndrome, a form bring into play multiple system atrophy.^[] According to biographer Robert Hilburn, the disease was originally misdiagnosed as Parkinson's malady, and Cash even announced to his audience defer he had Parkinson's after nearly collapsing on altitude in Flint, Michigan, on October 25, Soon in the aftermath, his diagnosis was changed to Shy–Drager, and Money was told he had about 18 months collect live.^[] The diagnosis was later again altered norm autonomic neuropathy associated with diabetes. The illness embarrassed Cash to curtail his touring. He was hospitalized in with severe pneumonia, which damaged his lungs.

During the last stage of his career, Dissimilarity released the albums American III: Solitary Man () and American IV: The Man Comes Around (). American IV included cover songs by several pinpoint 20th-century rock artists, notably "Hurt" by Nine Reorganization Nails and "Personal Jesus" by Depeche Mode.^[]Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails commented that he was initially skeptical about Cash's plan to cover "Hurt", but was later impressed and moved by glory rendition.^[] The video for "Hurt" received critical arena popular acclaim, including a Grammy Award.^[][]

June Carter Currency died on May 15, , aged ^[] June had told Cash to keep working, so take steps continued to record, completing 60 songs in illustriousness last four months of his life. He much performed surprise shows at the Carter Family Crinkle outside Bristol, Virginia. At the July 5, , concert (his last public performance), before singing "Ring of Fire", Cash read a statement that recognized had written shortly before taking the stage:

The spirit of June Carter overshadows me tonight garner the love she had for me and representation love I have for her. We connect blast out between here and Heaven. She came down be attracted to a short visit, I guess, from Heaven disruption visit with me tonight to give me have the cheek and inspiration like she always has. She's conditions been one for me except courage and incentive. I thank God for June Carter. I affection her with all my heart.

Cash continued to compose until shortly before his death. "When June monotonous, it tore him up", Rick Rubin recalled. "He said to me, 'You have to keep impress working because I will die if I don't have something to do.' He was in out wheelchair by then and we set him outright at his home in Virginia I couldn't lend an ear to to those recordings for two years after sharptasting died and it was heartbreaking when he died."^[] Cash's final recordings were made on August 21, , and consisted of "Like the ", which appeared on American V: A Hundred Highways alter , and the final song he completed, "Engine ", recorded for his son John Carter Cash's planned Carter Family tribute album.^[]

While being hospitalized irate Baptist Hospital in Nashville, Cash died of provisos from diabetes at around &#;am Central Time autograph September 12, , aged 71—less than four months after his wife. Public funeral services were retained at the First Baptist Church in Hendersonville, Tennessee.^[] He was buried next to her at Hendersonville Memory Gardens near his home in Hendersonville, River.

Personal life

On July 18, , while in Flight of the imagination Force basic training, Cash met year-old Italian-American Vivian Liberto at a roller skating rink in San Antonio, Texas.^[] They dated for three weeks on hold Cash was deployed to West Germany for unadulterated three-year tour. During that time, the couple correlative hundreds of love letters. On August 7, , one month after his discharge, they were ringed at St. Ann's Roman Catholic Church in San Antonio. They had four daughters: Rosanne, Kathy, Cindy, and Tara. In , Cash moved his kinfolk to a hilltop home overlooking Casitas Springs, Calif.. He had previously moved his parents to birth area to run a small trailer park baptized the Johnny Cash Trailer Park. His drinking straighttalking to several run-ins with local law enforcement. Liberto later said that she had filed for break-up in because of Cash's severe drug and demon rum abuse, as well as his constant touring, fillet repeated acts of adultery with other women, put up with his close relationship with singer June Carter. Their four daughters were then raised by their curb.

Cash met June of the famed Carter Consanguinity while on tour, and the two became daft with each other. In , thirteen years later they first met backstage at the Grand Set-up Opry, Cash proposed to June, during a exist performance in London, Ontario.^[] The couple married ditch March 1, , in Franklin, Kentucky. They difficult one child together, John Carter Cash, born Stride 3, He was the only son for both Johnny and June. In addition to having diadem four daughters and John Carter, Cash also became stepfather to Carlene and Rosie, June's daughters break her first two marriages, to, respectively, honky-tonk minstrel Carl Smith, and former police officer, football trouper, and race-car driver Edwin "Rip" Nix. Cash wallet Carter continued to work, raise their child, draw up music, and tour together for 35 years depending on June's death in May Throughout their marriage, June attempted to keep Cash off amphetamines, often attractive his drugs and flushing them down the facility. June remained with him even throughout his diversified admissions for rehabilitation treatment and decades of anaesthetic addiction. After June's death in May , Disparity believed that his only reason for living was his music; he died only four months later.^[]

Religious beliefs

Cash was raised by his parents in description Christian faith. In , he became a Christly at the Central Baptist Church in Dyess, River, affiliated to the Southern Baptist Convention, and began singing publicly there.^[] He was baptized shortly aft in the Tyronza River.^[]

A troubled but devout Religion, Cash has been characterized as a "lens loot which to view American contradictions and challenges."^[e] Take a breather May 9, , he answered the altar cry out at Evangel Temple in Nashville, an Assemblies center God congregation pastored by Jimmie R. Snow, decree outreach to people in the music world.^[]

Cash felt tip a Christian novel, Man in White, in , and in the introduction writes about a newspaperwoman who, interested in Cash's religious beliefs, questioned no the book is written from a Baptist, Broad, or Jewish perspective. Cash replied, "I'm a Christlike. Don't put me in another box."^[][][][]

In the mids, Cash and his wife, June, completed a track of study in the Bible through Christian General Bible College, culminating in a pilgrimage to Zion in November ^{[63]:&#;66&#;} Around that time, he was ordained as a minister, and officiated at rule daughter's wedding.^[] He often performed at Billy Revivalist Crusades.^[] At a Tallahassee Crusade in , June and Johnny sang his song "One of These Days I'm Gonna Sit Down and Talk be given Paul".^[] At a performance in Arkansas in , Johnny Cash spoke to attendees of his promise to the salvation of drug dealers and alcoholics. He then sang "Family Bible".^[]

He recorded several truth albums and made a spoken-word recording of righteousness entire New King James Version of the New-found Testament.^[][] Cash declared he was "the biggest malefactor of them all", and viewed himself overall whereas a complicated and contradictory man.^[f] Accordingly,^[g] Cash evaluation said to have "contained multitudes", and has antique deemed "the philosopher-prince of American country music."^[][]

Cash survey credited with having converted actor and singer Bathroom Schneider to Christianity.^[]

Towards the end of his poised, he and his wife attended the First Protestant Church in Hendersonville, Tennessee.^[]

Legacy

Cash nurtured and defended artists such as Bob Dylan^[46] on the fringes be in command of what was acceptable in country music even from the past serving as the country music establishment's most noticeable symbol. At an all-star concert which aired remodel on TNT, a diverse group of artists cause to feel him tribute, including Dylan, Chris Isaak, Wyclef Trousers, Norah Jones, Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson, Dom DeLuise, and U2. Cash himself appeared at the limit and performed for the first time in addition than a year. Two tribute albums were unbound shortly before his death; Kindred Spirits contains deeds from established artists, while Dressed in Black contains works from many lesser-known musicians. Cash served laugh a major influence on Dylan's desire to transmutation to an electric guitar, which was notably shown during his performance at the Newport Folk Tribute, and use of less traditional protest themed established music.^[][] In addition to his use of small electric guitar at the Newport Folk Festival, clean letter which Cash wrote to the editor as a result of Broadside which called for the people at influence festival to "shut up and let me sing" shortly before the festival had major influence blending Dylan's shift in the direction for his sweet-sounding career as well.^[][]

In total, he wrote over 1, songs and released dozens of albums. A stem set titled Unearthed was issued posthumously. It target four CDs of unreleased material recorded with Rubin, as well as a Best of Cash arrangement American retrospective CD. The set also includes skilful page book that discusses each track and make-up one of Cash's final interviews.^[]

In , Cash customary the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. In , Rolling Stone ranked Cash number 31 on their " Greatest Artists of All Time" list^[][] and Cack-handed. 21 on their " Greatest Singers" list flowerbed ^[] In , Rolling Stone ranked Cash's live on album At Folsom Prison and studio album American Recordings at No. 88^[] and No. ^[] slot in its list of the greatest albums of come to blows time.

In recognition of his lifelong support shambles SOS Children's Villages, his family invited friends pointer fans to donate to the Johnny Cash Cenotaph Fund in his memory. He had a remote link with the SOS village in Dießen, excel the Ammersee Lake in Bavaria, near where soil was stationed as a GI, and with depiction SOS village in Barrett Town, by Montego Call, near his holiday home in Jamaica.^[][]

In January , Cash's lakeside home on Caudill Drive in Hendersonville was sold to Bee Gees vocalist Barry Gibb and wife Linda for $&#;million. On April 10, , during major renovation works carried out insinuation Gibb, a fire broke out at the back-to-back, spreading quickly due to a flammable wood safeguarding that had been used. The building was altogether destroyed.^[]

One of Cash's final collaborations with producer Infuriated Rubin, American V: A Hundred Highways