Troubled Facts About Johnny Cash, The Man In Black
Singer Johnny Cash heroically spoke out for Native Americans, the poor, and the incarcerated—but his personal life was like a black hole filled with scandal.
1. He Suffered A Great Tragedy
Johnny Cash grew up poor, and all he wanted to do was sing gospel songs that praised the Lord. Sadly, no one really wanted to hear that kind of music anymore. Cash rebranded himself as a dark and mysterious character that people started calling "the Undertaker".
The shocking truth was that Cash had a very good reason to have such a morbid sobriquet. He’d suffered an unbearable tragedy when he was still a child.
2. He Was Born Poor
Johnny Cash was born JR Cash on February 26, 1932, in Kingsland, Arkansas. He was right in the middle of his six siblings, and his name was a compromise between his mother's wish for “John” and his father’s wish for “Ray”.
The family was poor, and in 1935, they took then-president Franklin D Roosevelt up on his New Deal and moved to Dyess, Arkansas, and started farming.
Sadly, tragedy was right behind them.
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3. They Had A Bad Feeling
The entire family worked in cotton fields and sang their hearts out while doing it. One day, Cash, his mother, and his older brother Jack had a bad feeling. Mom thought it would be best if Cash and Jack went fishing instead of working.
Jack was too concerned about finances and refused to take the day off to go fishing with Cash.
This decision would be a huge mistake.
4. There Was An Accident
While working on that fateful day, Jack had an accident with a table saw and got himself almost cut in half. He passed a week later. Jack was Cash’s closest sibling, and it was a huge loss for him. Cash suffered immense guilt over this incident, as his father seemed to blame him as well. His only hope was to see his brother again in heaven one day.
To deal with his loss, Cash turned to music.
