When & How Did June Carter Cash Die?

Disclaimer: This article contains mentions of death. Reader discretion is advised.

June Carter Cash died on May 15, 2003, at the age of 73. CBS News stated that the cause of death resulted from complications after a heart surgery. On May 7, she had heart surgery to replace her heart valve, which eventually deteriorated her health further. Then, her husband and fellow country music star Johnny Cash died only four months after her death, on September 12, 2003, at the age of 71, The New York Times reported. 

Born in Maces Spring, Virginia, in 1929, June Carter Cash began her musical career when she was just 10 years old. Initially, her mother, Maybelle Carter, was part of a group with her friend and the friend’s husband. The group was among the first to make country music recordings. Per The Guardian, after the family act went their separate ways, Maybelle formed a band with her three daughters, who used to call themselves Mother Maybelle & the Carter Sisters. 

June Carter Cash was the autoharp player, and with her brilliant comic timing, she also performed comic numbers. The outlet reported that the group became a regular at the Grand Ole Opry. June met her first husband, Carl Smith, at the Grand Ole Opry. She also met Johnny Cash backstage at the same place. By the time she began dating Johnny Cash, June Carter Cash had children from her previous two marriages. 

Johnny Cash was also married once before and had four children from his previous marriage. June Carter Cash and Johnny Cash were both well-known country music artists and were in different marriages when they met for the first time. 

How long were Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash married?

After they met in 1956, Johnny and June felt a strong connection and began touring. According to People Magazine, Johnny Cash proposed to June Carter on February 22, 1968, while the couple was performing onstage. Over a week later, on March 1, June and Johnny married each other in Franklin, Kentucky. The couple remained married for 35 years until 2003, when June passed away. Together, they had a son named John in 1970.

“Jackson” and “If I Were A Carpenter” were two of the couple’s most popular songs that the duo performed on stage. The two songs went on to win Grammys in 1967 and 1970, respectively. During the 60s and early 70s, the couple performed several popular songs and became icons in the country music scene. Shortly after that, Johnny Cash’s addictions put a strain on their marriage, and he went to rehab, per The Guardian.

Then, in 1997, June Carter Cash’s role as Robert Duvall’s mother in The Apostle garnered widespread acclaim. Her acoustic album, titled Press On, also gained popularity. In 2005, two years after the couple’s death, Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon starred in the film Walk the Line, which portrayed the relationship between June and Johnny. Notably, Witherspoon bagged an Oscar for her role as June. 

Paramount+ documentary June will feature the story of June Carter Cash and her career as well as her personal life.