So, here’s a blast from the past – it’s been more than a decade since the legendary Johnny Cash left us back in 2003 at the age of 71. Complications from diabetes did the deed.
Now, while the Man in Black may have left the stage, a shocking bombshell lingered, one he almost took to the grave. Now, we all know Johnny Cash wasn’t exactly a saint.
His marriage with June Carter was like a rollercoaster, filled with scandals and cheating accusations over the years. But here’s the kicker – it turns out Johnny Cash had a little fling with none other than June Carter’s sister, Anita. Yep, things just got a bit more complicated in the Cash family saga.
How Did Johnny Cash and June Meet?
Back in July 1956, Johnny Cash stepped onto the Grand Ole Opry stage for the first time. He’d just dropped the track “I Walk the Line,” scoring a rare crossover hit with both pop and country fans.
Carl Smith, a singer, gave Cash a warm welcome on the show, but it was an offstage introduction that left a lasting impression on Cash—his meeting with Smith’s wife, June Carter.
“I’ve always wanted to meet you,” Cash supposedly told June, who had been touring with Cash’s friend Elvis Presley. June, just off a tour with Elvis, apparently replied, “I feel like I know you already.”
June Carter reflected in the 2000 box set, Love, God, Murder, saying, “I can’t recall anything else we discussed, except his eyes. Those black eyes that shone like agates…
He possessed a mastery of his performance that I had never witnessed before. Just a guitar and a bass as well as a gentle, kind of presence that not only captivated me but turned entire audiences into his followers.”
Johnny Cash and June Got Married in 1968
Though they kept things under wraps about exactly when and how they got together, Cash decided to pop the question to Carter right there on stage at the London Ice House in February 1968.
Imagine this: a crowd of 7,000 witnessing the whole thing. Talk about making a statement. And just a few weeks later, they said their “I dos.”
From then on, these two musical powerhouses kept the good times rolling in their careers. They nabbed Grammy awards together in 1967 and 1970, not to mention their individual wins.
Carter scored two solo Grammys, while Cash took home a whopping 11, including a lifetime achievement award. Oh, and let’s not forget about The Johnny Cash Show, their TV variety gig from 1969 to 1971, featuring musical heavyweights like Bob Dylan and Kris Kristofferson.
Adding to their story, they welcomed their only kid together, John Carter Cash, in 1970. Fast forward, and he’s made a name for himself as a musician and music producer. Talk about a musical legacy!
Did Johnny Cash Really Cheat on June Carter?
As Johnny Cash faced the final days of his life in 2003, news of his clandestine affair with his sister-in-law surfaced, leaving Johnny’s friends and family in shock.
The March 30th edition of National Enquirer spills the details, stating, “More than a decade after the death of Johnny Cash, family members, and friends are still reeling from a shocking secret the country music legend tried to take to the grave – a forbidden affair that left his wife’s sister pregnant with his love child.”
According to an inside source, the passage of years hasn’t erased the impact of Johnny and Anita’s affair, haunting their relatives and closest pals.
Surprisingly, June Carter was well aware of the affair between Johnny and Anita. Not only did she forgive her husband and help him keep it under wraps, but she also reconciled with her sister Anita and even brought her into the Cash home as she aged and needed care.
How did Johnny Cash and the Carter sisters manage to keep this affair hush-hush for so long? National Enquirer suggests that when Anita discovered she was pregnant with her sister’s husband’s baby, she chose to undergo an abortion.
Imagine finding out that your father almost had a child with your aunt. Would you be as disturbed by Johnny and Anita’s affair as his kids and family are? Can you fathom June Carter’s ability to forgive both her husband and her sister? Think about it.
Johnny Cash and June’s Last Moment
On May 15, 2003, June Carter passed away at Baptist Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee, following heart surgery she underwent a week earlier. Johnny Cash was by her side as she drew her final breath.
During Carter’s funeral, Roseanne Cash, Johnny’s eldest daughter, conveyed, “My father has lost his dearest companion and his soul mate. If being a wife were to be a corporation, June would have been a Chief Executive Officer. It was her most cherished role.”
Close to two months later, on July 5, 2003, Cash made his last appearance on the stage at the Carter Family Fold in Virginia. While performing, he shared, “The spirit of June Carter overshadows me tonight with the sincere love she had for me and the love I have for her.
We link somewhere between here and Heaven. She came down for a limited visit, I guess, that was from Heaven, to visit with me tonight to give me hope and inspiration, like she always has… I thank God for June Carter. I love her with my entire heart.”
Cash’s own journey came to a close on September 12 of that year — a mere four months after Carter — as a result to complications of diabetes.
