Johnny Cash and his wife June Carter Cash pose for a portrait at an event in September 1969.Photo:Michael Ochs Archives/Getty
Michael Ochs Archives/Getty
As two of the biggest country musicians in the ’60s and ’70s,Johnny Cashand his wifeJune Carter Cashshared both their personal lives and their careers.
The songstress began collaborating with Johnny after the two first met in 1956 at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville — at the time, they were both married to other people. They went on to wed in 1968 and recorded multiple albums together.
The couple welcomed a son named John Carter Cash in 1970. June already had two children, Carlene and Rosie, from her two previous marriages, and Johnny had four children, Rosanne, Tara, Kathy and Cindy, with his former wife, Vivian Liberto.
June and Johnny were married for 35 years, until June’s death in 2003 — one of her final public appearances was inher husband’s music videofor the song “Hurt.”
Paramount+ released the documentaryJunein January 2024, which explored the life of the singer, including her relationship with Johnny, who was seemingly quite romantic.
In a 1994 letter, June’s husband wrote her a sweet message for her birthday, perRolling Stone. “You still fascinate and inspire me. You influence me for the better. You’re the object of my desire, the #1 Earthly reason for my existence. We got old and got used to each other," Johnny wrote. “Sometimes we irritate each other a little bit … But once in a while, like today, I meditate on it and realize how lucky I am to share my life with the greatest woman I ever met.”
So who was Johnny Cash’s wife? Here is everything to know about the country star June Carter Cash and her relationship with the musician.
She grew up in Virginia
Johnny Cash and his wife June Carter Cash.United Archives GmbH / Alamy
United Archives GmbH / Alamy
June was born and raised in Maces Spring, Virginia. Her parents, Maybelle and Ezra Carter, were also musicians, and June performed in the Carter Family Band throughout her childhood.
She met Johnny in 1956
Johnny Cash and his wife June Carter Cash.Ley, Charlie/Mirrorpix via Getty
June and Johnny were first introduced backstage at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. At the time, they were both married to other people, and June would go on to marry her second husband Edwin Nix the following year.
According to the 2002 biographyWill You Miss Me When I’m Gone?Johnny’s first words to June were, “Hello, I’m Johnny Cash and I’m going to marry you someday.” In a clip featured in the 2014 documentaryThe Winding Stream, June said that she felt a strong connection to Johnny from the beginning. The two began touring together, and June wrote the song “Ring of Fire” for Johnny about their budding relationship.
“I realized that oh my Lord! I think I’m falling in love with Johnny Cash, and this is the most painful thing I’ve ever gone through in my life. It is like I’m in a ring of fire, and I’m never coming out,” June said in the documentary. “It’s going to kill me, because I would never have the nerve to tell him, nor do I want to tell him, nor do I want anybody to even know I’ve got these feelings.”
She was married twice before she tied the knot with Johnny
Johnny Cash and his wife June Carter Cash.Courtesy Johnny Cash: The Redemption of an American Icon
June was married to her first husband, Carl Smith, from 1952 to 1956. The country singer married again in 1957 to the former soccer player Nix — the pair divorced in 1966.
Because both she and Johnny were married to other people when they met and began to fall in love with each other, June toldRolling Stonein 2000 that the beginning of the relationship didn’t feel good.
“It was not a convenient time for me to fall in love with him — and it wasn’t a convenient time for him to fall in love with me,” June said. “I was miserable, and it all came to me: I’m falling in love with somebody I have no right to fall in love with.”
She was married to Johnny for 35 years
Johnny Cash and his wife June Carter Cash.Rick Diamond/WireImage
Rick Diamond/WireImage
On Feb. 22, 1968, Johnny proposed to June while they performed onstage together in Canada. The couple got married on March 1 of the same year, over 10 years after they were first introduced.
The ceremony was held in Franklin, Kentucky, just one week after Johnny proposed.
She shared one child with Johnny
Johnny Cash and his wife June Carter Cash with their infant son John Carter Cash in a promotional portrait for the film ‘A Gunfight’ in 1970.Paramount Pictures/Courtesy of Getty
Paramount Pictures/Courtesy of Getty
June had two children and Johnny had four before they got married, and they welcomed one son together namedJohn.
One of Johnny’s daughters, Rosanne, told PEOPLE in 2019 that June was a great stepmother. “I had two really good examples from women in my life,” she said. “My mom gave me this powerful sense of discipline, family, mothering and detail orientation. AndJune gave me this sense of expansiveness and how to live life as a performer.”
The 2005 filmWalk the Linewas about her and Johnny’s love story
Joaquin Phoenix as Johnny Cash and Reese Witherspoon as June Carter Cash in ‘Walk the Line’.RGR Collection / Alamy
RGR Collection / Alamy
In 2005,Reese WitherspoonandJoaquin Phoenixstarred in the biopicWalk the Lineas June and Johnny. Witherspoon went on to win an Oscar for her portrayal of the singer.
In 2020, the actress marked 15 years since the movie’s release and praised the film’s team for helping her transform into June. “Playing the role of June Carter was one of the most rewarding experiences of my lifetime,” Witherspoon wrote onInstagram. “I felt completely transformed into an authentic country artist.”
She died in 2003
June Carter Cash and her husband Johnny Cash at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City.Kevin Mazur/WireImage
Kevin Mazur/WireImage
June died in May 2003 due to complications after heart surgery. Johnny died a few months later, in September of the same year.
CBS Newsreported that June’s family, including Johnny, was at her side when she died. After her death, the executive director of the Country Music Association, Ed Benson, praised June and her career.
“People talk about Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette when it comes to pioneering women in country music. But they very seldom mention June, somewhat because she got married to Johnny Cash,” he said. “I think people should think of her more often when they think of the pioneering women in country music.”
A 2024 documentary explored June’s life
Johnny Cash, June Carter Cash and their son.Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection/Getty
Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection/Getty
source: people.com
