Iconic country and folk singer Johnny Cash was married twice -- to Vivian Liberto and fellow singer June Carter, and shared five children with the two women,
"Folsom Prison Blues" singer Johnny Cash passed away seven years ago, leaving behind him a legacy of unforgettable songs, and an indelible mark in the history of music.
Johnny's personal life has attracted almost as much notice as his music, especially after the 2005 movie "Walk The Line," which highlighted his second marriage to June Carter. Johnny and June shared a son, and the singer has four daughters with his first wife, Vivian Liberto.
Country singer and songwriter Johnny Cash in 1969 | Source: Getty Images
MARRIAGE TO VIVIAN LIBERTO
Johnny would tell his daughters that he had met their mother Vivian Libero in 1951 at a skating rink. He had deliberately knocked her down so he could meet her and ended up walking her home. The couple fell in love but within three weeks Johnny was shipped to Germany.
The couple would exchange over 1000 letters, and Johnny ended up proposing through a love letter. On his return to the US, the couple married and welcomed their first child, Rosanne Cash. A month later Johnny released his first single.
Johnny's marriage to Vivian foundered over his growing alcohol and drug addiction, and his cheating.
Johnny Cash with his first wife Vivian Liberto in 1957 | Source: Getty Images
ROSANNE CASH
Rosanne, now 65, has followed in her father's footsteps and started touring with Johnny in the 70s. She released several hit albums, and in 1985 she won the Grammy for Best Female Country Vocal Performance.
Rosanne was close to her father despite her parent's divorce when she was just 11. Like her father, Rosanne overcame substance abuse and is married to her second husband musician John Leventhal with whom she shares son, Jakob.
KATHY CASH
By the time Kathy Cash was born in1956, her father was a country star. Johnny's constant touring meant he spent most of his time away from his family, leaving Vivian alone with her two young babies. Kathy married country singer-songwriter Jimmy Tittle in 1982.
Kathy and Jimmy share three children, among them producer Gerald Tittle, who was responsible for the 2020 documentary about his grandmother Vivian Liberto, "My Darling Vivian." Kathy criticized the film "Walk the Line" for the way it portrayed her mother.
CINDY CASH
In 1958 Johnny and Vivian welcome their third daughter, Cindy. Like her sister, Rosanne Cindy inherited her father's musical talent, and by the time she was 16 she was already performing on stage with Johnny and his second wife June Carter.
Cindy wrote a book about her family, "The Cash Family Scrapbook." Cindy married three times, and shares a daughter, Jessica, with her first husband, Cris Brock. Her third husband, Eddie Panetta passed away tragically in a 2009 motorbike accident.
TARA CASH
Tara Cash, born in 1961, is Johnny's youngest child with Vivian. She was just five years old when her parents finally divorced after living a tempestuous relationship for 12 years. Tara is in the entertainment business where she has worked as an actress and a costume designer.
Tara wrote a book about her father's childhood, “Recollections by J.R. Cash: Childhood Memories of Johnny Cash.” Over several years, Tara urged her father to write down answers to questions about his childhood, and published them, along with unique childhood photos.
Johnny Cash with his wife, American singer and actress June Carter at Heathrow Airport, UK,1968 | Source: Getty Images
MARRIAGE TO JUNE CARTER
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Johnny Cash with son John Carter Cash in 1975 | Source: Wikimedia Commons/Inter-Comm Public Relations, Johnny Cash and Son 1975, marked as public domain
JOHN CARTER CASH
Like his sisters, Rosanne and Cindy, John shares his father's love of music. The singer-songwriter and record producer has worked with music icons like Loretta Lynn, Elvis Costello, and Kris Kristofferson. He won a Grammy in 1999 for his work on "Press On."
John is also a successful children's books author, and published a memoir about his childhood memories of his father, “House of Cash: The Legacies of My Father Johnny Cash.” Johnny Cash's legacy is in good hands.
FAQs
*Vivian Liberto Distin was born on this date in 1934. She was a Black homemaker and author. She was the first wife of singer Johnny Cash. Vivian Liberto was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, and was the daughter of Irene (Robinson) and Thomas Peter Liberto.
Which one of Johnny Cash's daughters died? ›
Like her mother, sister and stepfather, Rosie also led a musical life, performing on The Johnny Cash Show and with the Carter Family. In October 2003 — five months after her mother's death that May — Rosie died of carbon monoxide poisoning. She was 45 years old.
How many biological children did Johnny Cash have? ›
Johnny Cash was born on February 26, 1932, and died at the age of 71 on September 12, 2003. While enjoying success in Nashville, Cash released 170 singles in a career spanning 1954 to 2003, including Ring Of Fire and I Walk The Line. He had five children from two marriages - four daughters and a son.
Did Johnny Cash have kids with his black wife? ›
Cash and Vivian Liberto were married in 1954. She filed for divorce in 1966, citing his adultery, drinking, and drug abuse. They had 4 children whom she raised with help from her mother. She remarried in 1968, to a police officer, and wrote a book about her early life with Cash.
What ethnicity was Johnny Cash? ›
He was primarily of English and Scottish descent. His paternal grandmother claimed Cherokee ancestry. But a DNA test of Cash's daughter Rosanne in 2021 on Finding Your Roots, hosted by historian Henry Louis Gates Jr, found she has no known Native American markers.
Did Johnny Cash's first wife Vivian ever remarry? ›
Vivian remarried (Ventura Police Officer Dick Distin, who still lives in town) in 1968 and lived out her days in Ventura, an active, admired and social member of the community. All four daughters she had with Cash — Rosanne, Kathy, Cindy and Tara — graduated from St. Bonaventure High School in Ventura.
Who inherited all of Johnny Cash's money? ›
After a long and prolific music career, Cash left plenty of Cash for his son but little for his daughters, according to his will. The Nashville Ledger reported that just before his death, he finalized his estate details. He'd amassed a $60 million to $100 million fortune.
What happened to Johnny Cash's wife Vivian? ›
Vivian, who had battled lung cancer, died as the result of a surgical error on May 24th, her daughter Rosanne's 50th birthday. Rosanne recalls witnessing her mother as she left her body, becoming a young girl again. Vivian's memoir, I Walked the Line, was published in 2007.
Who is Johnny Cash's son? ›
John Carter Cash has had success as a film actor and producer, as well, and as an author – including three childrens' books, a novel, a cookbook of family recipes, a biography of his mother, and a memoir of his relationship with his father. My father's legacy in music is: Be who you are.
What caused Johnny Cash's death? ›
Cash died on September 12, 2003 in Nashville, Tennessee from complications of diabetes. He was 71 years old. Cash was buried next to his wife, June Carter Cash, who had died 4 months earlier.
Located a few miles northeast of Nashville, it is the burial site of Johnny Cash as well as several members of the singing Carter Family and other stars from the country music world.
What nationality was Vivian? ›
Was Johnny Cash's first wife black or Italian? ›
The daughter of a father of Sicilian heritage and a mother of German and Irish descent, she was married to Cash from 1954-66. In 1965, when Cash was arrested on drug offenses, Liberto appeared in court in El Paso to support him and a photograph seemed to show her as black - enraging white supremacists at the time.
Did Johnny Cash disinherit his daughter? ›
Legendary country singer Johnny Cash nearly left his daughters from his first wife, Vivian Dustin, out of his will. He left Rosanne, Kathy, Cindy, and Tara $1 million each, which is not a lot when you consider his estate was worth between $60 and $100 million. It's unclear what led to this near-disinheritance.
Did Johnny Cash actually have a brother? ›
He had six siblings: Roy, Louise, Jack, Reba, Joanne, and Tommy. In 1935, the family moved to Dyess (Mississippi County), where they lived modestly and worked the land. The tragic death of Jack Cash in a 1944 sawmill accident haunted young J. R. for the remainder of his life.
What happened to Johnny Cash's brother? ›
According the Johnny Cash autobiography, his brother worked in a wood mill and got cut up his gut and chest with some kind of hug band saw. Johnny was able to visit his brother in bed before he died. I believe either the big brother was 14 years old or Johnny was that age. From an accident in a saw mill.
Did Johnny Cash's daughter get any of his money? ›
Legendary country singer Johnny Cash nearly left his daughters from his first wife, Vivian Dustin, out of his will. He left Rosanne, Kathy, Cindy, and Tara $1 million each, which is not a lot when you consider his estate was worth between $60 and $100 million.
How many times did Johnny Cash marry? ›
Who was Johnny Cash married to? Johnny Cash married his first wife, Vivian Liberto in 1954. They divorced in 1966, and Johnny Cash went on to marry June Carter in 1968. Johnny and June were together until June's death in 2003.
