Absolutely beautiful.
Of course, Johnny and June Carter Cash are an iconic country couple, and have inspired generations with their endearing relationship and timeless love story.
The two first met backstage at the Grand Ole Opry in 1956, but were both married to different people at the time. Eventually, over 10 years later, they would marry in 1968, and remained together until June passed away May of 2003.
In the 2014 documentary The Winding Stream, June admitted that she felt a strong connection to Johnny from the first time meeting him, and she wrote his iconic hit “Ring of Fire” about it:
“I realized that oh my Lord! I think I’m falling in love with Johnny Cash, and this is the most painful thing I’ve ever gone through in my life.
It is like I’m in a ring of fire, and I’m never coming out. It’s going to kill me, because I would never have the nerve to tell him, nor do I want to tell him, nor do I want anybody to even know I’ve got these feelings.”
June wrote the song with Merle Kilgore, and it appeared on Johnny’s 1963 compilation album Ring of Fire: The Best of Johnny Cash. June’s sister, Anita Carter, actually first included a version of “Ring of Fire” on her 1962 album, Folk Songs Old and New.
Obviously, we all know Johnny’s version became a massive hit and country standard, which stayed at #1 on the country chart for seven weeks. It has since been certified gold by the RIAA (2010), and has sold over 1.2 million digital downloads.
And on this date in 2003, Johnny did his last ever live performance when he sang a 30-minute set at the Carter Family Fold in Virginia, giving a beautiful speech about June who had passed not long before this performance, which took place in July (June Carter passed away in May).
He noted that he felt her spirit there, saying she was visiting to “give me courage and inspiration like she always has,” adding that he thanks God for June carter and loves her “with all my heart”:
“The spirit of June Carter overshadows me tonight with the love she had for me and the love I have for her. We connect somewhere between here and heaven. She came down for a short visit, I guess, from heaven to visit with me tonight to give me courage and inspiration like she always has.
She’s never been one for me except courage and inspiration. I thank God for June Carter, I love her with all my heart. I would like to do a song that she wrote that she was extremely proud of.”
He followed it up by playing “Ring of Fire,” and it’s apparent here how enduring their love was over so many decades, trials and tribulations.
Only about four months after June, Johnny passed away on September 12th of 2003, and his speech about her is truly the stuff of fairy tales. Go ahead and watch it here, you’ll be glad you did:
“Ring of Fire”