Country music lost one of its all-time greatest singers and songwriters on Sept. 12, 2003, when Johnny Cash died at the age of 71.
The legendary Man in Black left behind a vast musical legacy, beginning with the release of his debut single, “Hey Porter,” in 1955 and continuing with a long string of classics that included “I Walk the Line,” “Ring of Fire,” “Folsom Prison Blues,” “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down,” “One Piece at a Time” and many more.
Cash recorded more than 100 albums and released more than 150 singles, and he was one of the few country stars of his era to release some of his most powerful work later in his career, instead of fading into relative obscurity.
His American Recordings album in 1994 sparked off a career resurgence that continued even as Cash’s health began to decline. It won him a Grammy for Best Contemporary Folk Album, and his subsequent album, Unchained, received a Grammy for Best Country Album in 1996. Cash released the final album of his lifetime, American IV: The Man Comes Around, in November of 2002.
Cash was a member of both the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and he earned a career total of 13 Grammys and sold 90 million records over the decades.
Cash’s beloved wife, June Carter Cash, died on May 15, 2003, and Cash was already struggling with multiple health issues at that time. He gave his final public performance on July 5, 2003, performing a 30-minute set at the Carter Family Folds in Hiltons, Va., that included “Folsom Prison Blues,” “I Walk the Line,” “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down,” “Ring of Fire,” “Angel Band,” “Big River” and “Understand Your Man.”
The iconic musician died just nine weeks later on Sept. 12, from respiratory failure that was a complication of diabetes.
PICTURES: See Johnny Cash’s Iconic $3.2 Million Lakefront Estate in Nashville
Gallery Credit: Sterling Whitaker
PICTURES: See Inside the Johnny Cash Family’s Dogwood Estate
A legendary estate that was a mainstay of Johnny Cash’s family holdings is now up for sale, and pictures show a property that’s worthy of one of country music’s royal families.
Gallery Credit: Sterling Whitaker
PICTURES: See Inside Johnny Cash’s Spectacular Rural California Estate
A stunning rural estate in California that once belonged to Johnny Cash has sold for $1.85 million dollars. Pictures of the 5-bedroom, 4.5-bathroom, 4,500-square-foot historic property show unique wood accents throughout the house, a paneled music room where Cash used to write songs, his-and-hers master suites and more.
The carefully maintained grounds also include a pool, a covered outdoor kitchen and a sitting area with a firepit among the other amenities of the fine home, which Cash designed and built in 1961.
Gallery Credit: Sterling Whitaker
Sterling Whitaker is a Senior Writer and Senior Editor for Taste of Country. He focuses on celebrity real estate, as well as coverage of Yellowstone and related shows like 1883 and 1923. He’s interviewed cast members including Cole Hauser, Kelly Reilly, Sam Elliott and Harrison Ford, and Whitaker is also known for his in-depth interviews with country legends including Don Henley, Rodney Crowell, Trace Adkins, Ronnie Milsap, Ricky Skaggs and more.