When Johnny Cash's voice deepened into a powerful basso profundo, he remembered his mother saying, "God has his hand on you — don’t ever forget the gift." It was the first time she called his singing talent a "gift." For Johnny, that gift wasn’t just about his voice; it was about the songs and stories he created with it. He said, "Singing and writing for my voice — that was the gift."
The Gift: The Journey of Johnny Cash – A New Perspective
A new documentary, The Gift: The Journey of Johnny Cash, gives fans a chance to hear Johnny tell his story in his own words. Director Thom Zimny uncovered 60 hours of audio recordings where Johnny shares intimate details of his life. These recordings were made in the 1990s while he was working on his autobiography. In the film, Johnny takes us back to his tough childhood in Arkansas, growing up as one of seven children of a cotton farmer.
Johnny vividly recalled the hardships of his early years. "I remember when my dad was drinking, and my mom suffered terribly," he said. "It’s strange — my dad never hit me, but he also never hugged us. He never even came close to telling us he loved us. Not once." This absence of affection shaped Johnny's early life, leaving an indelible mark on his soul.
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The Battle Between Family and Fame
At 22, Johnny married Vivian Liberto, and together they had four daughters. But life wasn’t easy for Johnny. He was torn between his family and his growing career, and his struggles with alcohol and painkillers only added to the chaos. "There was always a battle going on at my house," Johnny admitted. His daughter Rosanne remembered the tension: "My mom didn’t know how to handle it. She felt fear, confusion, grief, and a deep sense of loss. She desperately wanted to keep him home."
But it was a battle that seemed impossible to win. Johnny fell in love with touring and with bandmate June Carter. "My kids suffered, and Vivian suffered," Johnny confessed. "I missed graduations, school plays, and proms. I lived the life of a rambler." Johnny and Vivian divorced in 1967, and he married June the following year. But their marriage wasn’t a fairy tale. "Some people think it was happily ever after," their son John Carter Cash said. "It wasn’t."
