Acclaimed singer-songwriter Rosanne Cash is the eldest daughter of country music legend Johnny Cash and his first wife, Vivian Liberto. In 1959, her family moved from Memphis to Los Angeles.
I grew up in Southern California and I absorbed everything that was on the radio and in the air in the ‘60s: Buffalo Springfield and The Beatles, Joni Mitchell and Jefferson Airplane – and then The Byrds and The Flying Burrito Brothers. I loved country music when I was a little kid. But then, as a pre-teen and teen, that was my parent’s music. Yes, Patsy Cline was phenomenal; Merle Haggard, “Silver Wings” – one of the greatest songs ever written; Dad’s “Ballads of the True West” and “Hey, Porter” – love it. But let’s just put it over here. I’m going to go with Buffalo Springfield for the moment.
After graduating from high school, Rosanne went on the road with her dad. It was from that experience – and listening to Emmylou Harris – that she felt a calling to return to country. She began writing songs and recorded her first self-titled album, mostly produced in Germany; it impressed Columbia Records’ Rick Blackburn enough that he offered her a contract.
In the decade that followed, Cash would release six critically and commercially successful albums with Columbia, produced by her then-husband Rodney Crowell, including eleven No. 1 Billboard country singles. Her album, King’s Record Shop, spawned four No. 1s – a record for female country artists at the time – and Rosanne was heralded as a leader in the “young country” movement. But she did not feel fulfilled, creatively.
I felt a little fake with King’s Record Shop. It was authentic – I loved the songs – but I wanted to be a songwriter and I had only written a couple on that album. My real passion is being a songwriter.
Her next album, Interiors, filled with her own songs, was not promoted by her label. She left Columbia Records, moved to New York City, began writing all her songs, and, she remembers, “I didn’t have any more hits – but I was happy.”
Since then, her work has been focused on a return to the roots of country and a reflection of her life experiences. In 2010, her LP The List – based on a list of iconic country songs her father had given her when she was 18 – received the Americana Award for Album of the Year. The River and the Thread(2014), a collection of songs inspired by the American South written with her husband and collaborator John Leventhal, won three GRAMMY Awards, Best Americana Album and Best American Roots Song and Best American Roots Performance for “A Feather’s Not a Bird.” In 2018, Cash released She Remembers Everything, with songs that tell of how love and loss, unfulfilled dreams, and small victories shape our lives and make us who we are. “I could not have written them 10 years ago,” Rosanne says. “Time is shorter. I have more to say.”
Cash is also a talented essayist and author and has written articles for The New York Times, Rolling Stone, the Nation, and the Oxford-American. The Chicago Tribune called her best-selling memoir, Composed, “one of the best accounts of an American life you’ll likely ever read.”
Rosanne Cash was awarded the SAG/AFTRA Lifetime Achievement Award for Sound Recordings in 2012 and received the 2014 Smithsonian Ingenuity Award in the Performing Arts. She was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters’ Hall of Fame in 2015.
Born: May 24, 1955, Memphis, Tennessee
FAQs
When Rosanne Cash was 18 and on the road with her father, Johnny Cash, he became alarmed at the number of important songs that she didn't know.
Was Johnny Cash's first wife black? ›
Was Johnny Cash's first wife black? Vivian Liberto was biracial or multiracial including being mixed with black or she was very light skinned and black.
Is Marty Stuart still married to Johnny Cash's daughter? ›
Cindy has one daughter, Jessica Dorraine Brock, from her first marriage. From 1983 to 1988, Cindy was married to musician Marty Stuart. In 2003, she wed Eddie Panetta, and they remained married until his death from a motorcycle accident in 2009.
Who is Johnny Cash's son? ›
In his memoir about time with Cash, Grant said that the birth of Cash's son, John Carter Cash, inspired the singer to end his dependence.
Did Johnny Cash's daughter get any of his money? ›
Cash's four kids with his first wife — Rosanne, Cindy, Tara, and Kathleen — didn't get any royalties from the music. Johnny gave each of his four daughters $1 million in his will.
Which one of Johnny Cash's daughters died? ›
On October 24, 2003, Rosie, aged 45, died from accidental carbon monoxide poisoning. She and bluegrass musician Jimmy Campbell were on a school bus, which had been converted for travel.
Was Johnny Cash's wife biracial? ›
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.
Is Johnny Cash's ex-wife still living? ›
Vivian Distin (née Liberto, formerly Cash; April 23, 1934 – May 24, 2005) was an American homemaker and author. She is notable as the first wife of singer Johnny Cash and mother of their four daughters. She inspired his first hit single "I Walk the Line".
Was Johnny Cash's family poor? ›
Cash was born in Kingsland, Arkansas, on February 26, 1932. His family was poor, and he had to work from a young age. Influenced by the southern musical tradition, Cash learned to play the guitar and was writing and performing songs by the end of high school.
Who inherited Johnny Cash's fortune? ›
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.
Thomas Gabriel spent time touring with grandparents Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash as a boy and became interested in music at an early age. In addition to following in his family's musical footsteps, Gabriel also followed down the path of substance abuse.
Why does Marty Stuart wear a neck scarf all the time? ›
It's simple. The scarf was a very early standard of country & western fashion. Marty Stuart started playing country music professionally at the ripe age of 14 in Lester Flatt's bluegrass band. As can be seen in the picture below, he was wearing fluttery neck wear even then, like most everyone was in Flatt's band.
Did Johnny Cash have kids with June Carter? ›
John Carter Cash (born March 3, 1970) is an American country singer-songwriter, musician and author. He is the only child of Johnny Cash and his second wife June Carter Cash.
What nationality is Johnny Cash's grandson? ›
Thomas Gabriel is an American singer and songwriter. Gabriel's music has been described as a mix of Americana/Roots with a hint of country and rock. He is the eldest grandchild of singer and actor Johnny Cash.
What was Johnny Cash's net worth when he died? ›
After a long and prolific music career, Cash left behind plenty of cash for his son, but little for his daughters according to his will. He'd amassed a $60 million to $100 million fortune. The Nashville Ledger reported that just before his death, he finalized his estate details.
Was Rosanne Cash related to Johnny Cash? ›
Acclaimed singer-songwriter Rosanne Cash is the eldest daughter of country music legend Johnny Cash and his first wife, Vivian Liberto.
Who is the dad from Roseanne? ›
John Goodman (born June 20, 1952, Affton, Missouri, U.S.) is an American actor who was perhaps best known for his long-running role as Dan Conner in the television series Roseanne (1988–97; 2018).
Who is the dad in the Roseanne show? ›
Daniel "Dan" Conner is a fictional character in the television series Roseanne created by comedian and namesake Roseanne Barr and portrayed by actor John Goodman.
Did Johnny Cash have any children with June Carter Cash? ›
She shared one child with Johnny
Johnny Cash and his wife June Carter Cash with their infant son John Carter Cash in a promotional portrait for the film 'A Gunfight' in 1970. June had two children and Johnny had four before they got married, and they welcomed one son together named John.
