June Carter Cash was an American country singer and songwriter, winner of five Grammy Awards, a member of the Carter family (a distant cousin of Jimmy Carter, the 39th President of the United States) and the second wife of singer Johnny Cash – both being two of the biggest country musicians of the ’60s and ’70s.
Born Valerie June Carter on June 23, 1929, in Maces Springs, Virginia, June was the daughter of Ezra Carter and Maybelle Carter, both members of the famous Carter family. Growing up in a family with deep roots in music and performance, June’s natural talent for singing and acting became apparent from an early age. It was her parents who nurtured her passion for music, giving her an early foundation that would eventually lead her to a successful career as a musician and actress.
The collaboration with Johnny Cash took place after they first met in 1956 at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, at the time both were married to other people. After they divorced and began a relationship, June was said to have turned down over 30 marriage proposals from Johnny before finally accepting his proposal in 1968.
In 1970, their son, John Carter Cash, was born. (June already had two children, Carlene and Rosie, from his two previous marriages, and Johnny had four children, Rosanne, Tara, Kathy and Cindy, with his ex-wife, Vivian Liberto).
June Carter Cash and Johnny Cash were married for 35 years until her death on May 15, 2003. One of her last public appearances was in Johnny Cash’s 2002 music video Hurt.
In January 2024, Paramount+ released the documentary June about the singer’s life, including her relationship with Johnny, which was apparently quite romantic.
June Carter Cash began her professional career as a member of the Carter Sisters, alongside her older sisters Helen and Anita. The trio opened for their mother’s famous group, the Carter Family. In the early 1940s, June also began performing with her mother as “Mother Maybelle and the Carter Sisters,” appearing on radio shows such as the Grand Ole Opry, helping to establish their names on the country music scene.
As a solo artist, June released her debut single ‘Jukebox Blues’ in 1952. Throughout her career, she went on to release hits such as ‘Road to Nowhere’, ‘Sweet Sweet Spirit’ and ‘No Swett Named Love ,” solidifying his status as a formidable force in country music. He further demonstrated his versatility by acting in films such as ‘The Apostle’ (1997) and ‘Coal Miner’s Daughter’ (1980)
Although she participated in several recordings and shared the front with Cash on several albums, June Carter Cash recorded only three solo albums during her lifetime: the first, Appalachian Pride, released in 1975, Press On (1999) and Wildwood Flower, released posthumously in 2003 and produced by her son John Cash.
Love story with Johnny Cash
One of the most defining aspects of June Carter Cash’s life remains her love affair with Johnny Cash. The two musicians first met in 1956, when Cash performed at the Grand Ole Opry, while Carter was married to Carl Smith, who, incidentally, introduced the rebellious young artist to his wife backstage.
Their relationship was marked by many challenges, including Johnny’s struggles with addiction and infidelity, but despite all of this, she was the one who stuck by him unconditionally, supporting him through his toughest times.
June Cash Carter was posthumously inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame (2003) and received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (2006) in honor of her outstanding career.
In a 1994 letter, according to Rolling Stone magazine, Johnny Cash wrote her a memorable message on her birthday – “You still fascinate and inspire me. You influence me for the better. You are the object of my desire, the #1 reason on Earth for my existence. We got older and got used to each other. Sometimes we annoy each other, but only a little… But in the end, I realize how lucky I am to share my life with the greatest woman I’ve ever met.”
June Carter Cash had a successful solo career, releasing several albums and recording hits such as “Jackson” and “Ring of Fire”, in addition to collaborating with Johnny Cash on numerous duets.
Although he was a moral support for Johnny Cash in his decadent moments. June herself has struggled with drug addiction for a good part of her life.
June Cash and Johnny Cash died in the same year, within a few months of each other.
“My parents’ love for each other lasted their whole lives. They didn’t give up on each other. They accepted each other in a totally unconditional way,” said their son John Carter Cash, a music producer.
June and Johnny’s love story led to the 2005 Oscar-winning biopic Walk the Line, starring Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon. The couple’s son John served as an executive producer on the film.
“Walk the Line (…) tells a love story. And if I were to judge the film on that alone, then I can say that it beautifully showcases my parents’ love story for which I am eternally grateful. If she hadn’t existed, as she was, I wouldn’t be here.” (John Cash)
“My mom and dad were actually the ones who put together Walk the Line, both agreeing with Joaquin, before they passed away. And my dad approved Reese after my mom died. (…) My parents were normal, good and loving people, but much of the world looked at them as superstars and put them on a pedestal, which I appreciate. But there is so much simplicity and modesty that they have never lost. Of course, you can’t be an artist and not have an ego”, said John who also admitted that the drug problems in his own family were also found in him at one time, but this story is in the past .
“They really loved each other, but they struggled and there were a few times when their marriage almost failed, largely because of my father’s volatility and character and his addictions. But that’s part of the story.”
June, as described by her son, was a victim of her own struggles, vices and weaknesses. She had been a compulsive spender, overloading the house with everything from furniture, crockery, bedding and silverware, all to make up for the family’s financial shortfalls in the 1980s when they had to sell many of their more valuable possessions . On top of that were the frustrations of her husband’s infidelities.
“But it was through these struggles that their love grew stronger, so that at the end of their lives, even if they were not happily ever after, they were still happy as long as they lived. In fact, they were happier together than they had ever been. They had learned to forgive each other and they had learned to accept each other.”
In April 2003, Carter was discovered to have a heart valve problem, and doctors told him the only solution was a valve replacement operation. She was operated on on May 7, but due to unexpected complications, her health deteriorated rapidly, and on May 15, 2003, at the age of 73, she passed away. Less than four months later, on September 12, at the age of 71, she was followed by her beloved husband, singer Johnny Cash.
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Source: www.descopera.ro
