On May 15, 2003, June Carter Cash – the five-time Grammy winner and wife of country giant Johnny Cash – died in a Nashville hospital of complications from heart surgery.
A few months before June’s death, she reportedly complained of pain around and under her ribs and had difficulty breathing. Doctors initially believed this was due to gallstones, but further tests showed that fluid was already building around the country legend’s heart and lungs. It turned out this was because of the leaking in her micro-valve, which suggested that her heart was severely compromised. She was then told her valve needed urgent replacement.
June died just a few weeks shy of her 74th birthday. Her family, including her husband of more than three decades, was at her bedside.
June Carter Cash Left Behind A Legacy Only Few Can Match
June Carter Cash is a successful singer and songwriter whom fans witnessed eventually become a fixture at the Grand Ole Opry.
For You
She was first a member of country music’s legendary musical group, Carter Family – which was instrumental in the proliferation of the genre – before she started her own musical career.
Of course, who could ever forget her performances with her superstar husband Johnny Cash, both on record and on stage. The couple’s love for one another was well documented.
They toured and recorded together for more than four decades. Their most popular duets included “Oh, What a Good Thing We Had,” “Daddy Sang Bass,” and “It Ain’t Me Babe.” The couple also shared Grammy Awards for their songs “If I Were A Carpenter” and “Jackson.”
But one of the highlights of June’s career was when she co-wrote “Ring of Fire,” which became a No. 1 country hit for Cash in 1963.
Truly, June Carter Cash’s singing still inspires artists today. She’s one of the most influential artists in country music history.
