Johnny Cash, if he were alive today, would be celebrating his 89th birthday on February 26. However, he died some years ago, leaving behind four daughters and a son, as well as two stepchildren from his wife, June Carter Cash. June died only months before Johnny – so who did he leave his fortune to?
Johnny Cash died of complications from diabetes on September 12, 2003, while June died on May 15, 2003, of complications during a heart-valve replacement surgery.
Some later said Johnny died of a broken heart, despite his wife telling him to keep going with music if she were to die before him.
However, while Johnny may have lost his wife months before his death, he still had around him five children and two stepchildren.
With his first wife, Vivian Liberto, Johnny had four daughters: Rosanne, Kathy, Cindy and Tara.
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Rosanne and Cindy both went on to follow in their father’s footsteps as singers.
After his divorce from Vivian, Johnny married June, who already had two daughters from her first two marriages: Carlene and Rosie, both of whom also followed a musical path.
On March 3, 1970, June and Johnny had their only child together: John Carter Cash, who was also their only son.
So who inherited after Johnny died, given June had also died by this time?
At the time of his death, Johnny had an estimated wealth of between $60 million to $100million (£42.8million to £71.2million.)
In his will, Johnny left everything to the couple’s son, John, as well as publishing rights from his hit song Ring of Fire.
In 2007, Johnny’s four daughters fought in court for some of the royalties to this song, however it was later reported they had not won their case.
The song’s copyright was shared by Johnny and June and another songwriter Merle Kilgore, who died in 2005.
DON’T MISS
John has spoken about how difficult his parents’ death was for him, telling The Guardian in 2013: “My mother’s death was very painful as it occurred over a period of a week.
“Watching her die was the hardest thing my dad ever went through.
“Even though they had their struggles, they were built for each other, and by the end of their lives they were more in love than they had ever been.
“But at the same time he has a great sense of strength and endurance.
“On the way home from her funeral he turned to me and said ‘I gotta get back into the studio. I’ve got to go face to face with this pain.'”
Johnny continued to work after June’s death, and for John, Johnny seems to still be in the cabin recording studio which Johnny built and recorded in.
John added: “We’ve had a lot of folks visit here. But it is the spirit of my dad which lingers on foremost.
“There’s a photograph of him, the last portrait ever taken of him, hanging up in the main tracking room.
“He is watching over all the music being recorded here still. I can definitely feel that.”
