Johnny Cash was known for his intense relationship with June Carter Cash and his struggles with substances. But underneath it all, his four daughters with his first wife were seriously suffering because of his choices. Now, years later, you have to wonder, what happened to them?
The truth about what each of his daughters is doing now is truly insane. Rosanne Cash is Johnny’s oldest child. He had her with his first wife, Vivian Liberto Cash. And even though her father didn’t exactly set a great example in that marriage by being both unfaithful to her mother.
What Happened to Rosanne Cash?
Rosanne still followed in her father’s footsteps and pursued a career in music. She’s released 14 studio albums, has been nominated for an impressive sixteen Grammys, and won four Grammy awards, and has been inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.
But Rosanne’s talents extend far beyond music. She’s also the author of four books, including her best-selling memoir Composed. It’s all about life with and also life without her father, as well as her experience growing into her role as a performer.
She was able to find a happy marriage of her own and settled down with producer John Leventhal. But also like her dad, it took her two marriages to get it right. She was first married to country music legend Rodney Crowell from 1979 to 1992 and they had three daughters together.
What About Kathy Cash?
Kathy Cash, Johnny and Vivian’s second daughter, didn’t find success with a music career but she did manage to make her mark through entertainment. In 2016, Kathy made her debut on the big screen appearing in the comedy movie What’s the Matter with Gerald?.
The movie was written by her son, Dustin Tittle, as well as her son-in-law Matt Riddlehoover. Kathy got married to Jimmy Tittle in 1982 and they’ve been together since. They have two children together, but just like the rest of her family, it was her second marriage.
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But Kathy’s also made headlines for some controversial statements surrounding her mother. Specifically her portrayal in the Johnny Cash biopic Walk The Line. Kathy was upset when the movie came out that her mother was basically nonexistent in the film.
And, even worse, when she was on screen, she was portrayed as a psychotic woman who hated Johnny’s career. Kathy claims that couldn’t be further from the truth and in reality her mother loved Johnny’s career and was proud of him — or at least she was proud of him until he got mixed up with substances and stopped coming home.
And it was that toxic relationship with substance use that ultimately led her father to cheat on her mother and leave her altogether for his second wife. Kathy said that she tried to watch Walk The Line, but she was unable to finish the film and walked out five separate times.
Kathy said that the film might be a hit with people who are into the scandalous side of the industry and Johnny’s story, but that it was sorely lacking in an accurate portrayal of Johnny’s relationship with his daughters and the sentimental, personal moments they shared.
And the movie, according to Kathy, did a poor job of really showing audiences just how deep their father’s struggle was, or how difficult the divorce was for everyone involved. This feeling must have been even harder to process about the movie while it’s being widely loved, racking up tons of cash at the box office, and pulling in major awards.
Where Is Johnny Cash’s Third Daughter, Cindy?
Johnny had his third daughter with Vivian, Cindy Cash, in 1959. Just like her dad and oldest sister, Cindy was able to find her place on the stage of country music. She started by appearing on stage with her dad and stepmom, but would go on to do her own thing before too long.
She joined the supergroup “The Next Generation” that featured other country music star’s daughters, which is a pretty interesting concept for a band. The group featured Conway Twitty’s daughter Cathy Twitty, Loretta Lynn’s daughter Patsy Lynn and George Jones and Tammy Wynette’s daughter Georgette Jones.
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Cindy was married to her dad’s former bandmate and Country Music Hall of Famer Marty Stuart from 1983 to 1988. And just like her sister Kathy, she dabbled in film as well. She was in the movies The Cradle Will Fall, My Darling Vivian, and Johnny Cash’s America.
My Darling Vivian was a 2020 documentary that took a closer look at Johnny’s marriage to his first wife. Something Walk The Line largely glossed over or covered incorrectly. The documentary sources interviews with the couple’s daughters, along with old letters and photographs.
The film is considered to be a tribute to the woman who faded into something between obscurity and a negative shadow after Johnny and Vivian split up.
Who Is Tara Cash, Johnny and Vivian’s Youngest Daughter?
Tara Cash is the youngest daughter of Johnny and Vivian and probably the most private of all her siblings. In 2014 she released a book titled “Recollections by J.R. Cash: Childhood Memories of Johnny Cash.” I guess even being private she still had the need to share her deeper thoughts with others, something she definitely got from her dad.
But part of that was her wanting her father to share a little more with her and the world. In 1995, Tara gave her dad a book titled “Dad, Share Your Life With Me.” Over the course of a year, Johnny filled the book with all kinds of memories and returned it to Tara.
She picked some of her favorite family photos to be featured in the collection. Tara said that the book tells the story of a young boy, his home life, his family, his friends, his tireless dedication to his craft — and where all his hopes and dreams came to live in Dyess, Arkansas.
Tara has also found a career in entertainment, but largely behind the scenes. She’s done work in costuming as well as a designer for the TV movie Nashville Beat. She was also a wardrobe assistant in the movie Tennessee Waltz.
Even though June Carter Cash was only the biological mother to one of Johnny’s children, she considered herself to actually be a mother of seven, because she had two kids from her previous marriage. She never said stepmother or stepchildren, which is a really sweet and kind way to look at the merged family.
Rosanne Has Been Vocal About Loving June
This isn’t always easy in divorce. But this little rule went a long way and made the entire Cash family deeply love June. Rosanne has been vocal about how special June was in her life and development. She has said that June didn’t give birth to her in the literal sense, but she very figuratively helped birth her future.
She gave credit to her as a woman who raised her and refused to be labeled as stepmother. After Johnny passed in 2003, Rosanne wrote a book entirely devoted to June titled Woman Walk the Line: How the Women in Country Music Changed Our Lives.
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She was able to finally tell the world just how loving and wise June was. It seems like Johnny found a very special woman and she shared her light with the children she was entrusted to help raise. Rosanne praised June, saying how she loved everyone regardless of their age or origin — and that she had a truly unique energy…
She added that even though she was a child of divorce, her life was never cloudy as soon as June came into the picture. Rosanne looks back and remembers how June said that being a mother was her most important job — something that was sorely needed for Johnny’s children who were left feeling abandoned.
Kathy and Rosanne Had Different Reactions to Walk The Line
According to Rosanne, June gave them all of her love and attention as if they were her own children, because to June, they were. Unlike Kathy who had trouble sitting through Walk The Line, Rosanne chose not to attend the film premiere at all. She decided to watch it privately in her own home.
When asked about her thoughts, she said that she didn’t like a movie that someone made about her traumatic childhood and figured anyone else would feel the same way if it happened to them. Rosanne said the film was painful to watch, but was able to distance herself from it emotionally by understanding it was made for other people.
For Rosanne, it was just some story. Kathy and Rosanne’s half-brother John was an executive producer of the movie and actually addressed some of his sisters’ opinions and criticisms. He said that their claims had merit and he was compassionate and understanding of their points of view.
But, ultimately, the movie was about Johnny and June’s love story and he thought the movie did a fine job of telling that particular story. Maybe one day Kathy and Rosanne can make their own movie to share their story with the world.
