JUNE CARTER CASH
Name: June Carter Cash
Born: 23 June 1929 Scott County, Virginia, U.S.
Died: 15 May 2003 Nashville, Tennessee, USA.
Valerie June Carter Cash (June 23, 1929 - May 15, 2003) was a singer, songwriter,
actress and comedian and was a member of the Carter Family, and the second wife
of singer Johnny Cash. She played the guitar, banjo, and autoharp.
Cash was born Valerie June Carter in Maces Springs, Virginia. She was born into
country music and performed with the Carter Family from the young age of ten,
beginning in 1939. In March 1943, when the Carter Family trio stopped recording
together after the WBT contract, Maybelle Carter, with encouragement from her
husband Ezra, formed "Mother Maybelle & the Carter Sisters" with her daughters
Helen, Anita, and June. The new group first aired on radio station WRNL in
Richmond, Virginia, on June 1. Doc and Carl rejoined them in late 1945. June,
then 16, was a co-announcer with Ken Allyn and did the commercials on the radio
shows for "Red Star Flour", "Martha White," and "Thalheimers Department Store,"
just to name a few. For the next year, the Carters and Doc and Carl did show
dates within driving range of Richmond through Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and
Pennsylvania. She later said she had to work harder at her music than her
sisters, but she had her own special talent, comedy. A highlight of the road
shows was her "Aunt Polly" comedy routine. Carl wrote in his memoirs that June
was "a natural born clown, if there ever was one." She attended John Marshall
High School during this period.
Ezra Carter declined Grand Ole Opry offers to move the family to Nashville,
Tennessee a number of times because the Opry would not permit Chet Atkins to
accompany the group. Finally, in 1950 Opry management relented and the group,
along with Atkins, became part of the Opry company. Here the family befriended
Hank Williams and Elvis Presley (to whom they were distantly related), and June
met Johnny Cash.
With her thin and lanky frame, June Carter often played a comedic foil during
the group's performances alongside other Opry stars Faron Young and Webb Pierce.
June Carter Cash is best known for singing and songwriting, but she was also an
author, actress, comedian, philanthropist and humanitarian. Her acting roles
included Mrs. "Momma" Dewey in Robert Duvall's 1998 movie The Apostle, and
Sister Ruth, wife to Johnny Cash's character Kid Cole, on Dr. Quinn, Medicine
Woman (1993-1997). June was also "Momma James," in The Last Days of Frank and
Jesse James.
In 1962 she and Merle Kilgore wrote "Ring of Fire". The song documents Carter's
feelings of conflict arising from her relationship with Johnny Cash. As a singer,
she had both a solo career and a career singing with, first, her family, and
later, her husband. As a solo artist, she became somewhat successful with upbeat
country tunes of the 1950s like "Jukebox Blues" and the comedic hit "No
Swallerin Place" by Frank Loesser with her exaggerated breaths. June also
recorded "The Heel," in the 1960s along with many other songs. She won a Grammy
Award in 1999 for her solo album, Press On. Her last album, Wildwood Flower, was
released posthumously in 2003 and won two additional Grammys. It contains bonus
video enhancements showing extracts from the film of the recording sessions
which took place at the Carter Family Estate in Hiltons, Virginia on September
18-20, 2002. The songs on the album include "Big Yellow Peaches," "Sinking in
the Lonesome Sea," "Temptation," and the trademark staple "Wildwood Flower."
The first draft of her screenplay "The Wildwood Flower" (dated May 1, 1986) is
in the possession of Robin Moore. It was given to Moore at a restaurant in New
York City when she was lunching with him and Robert Duvall. She had cast Duvall
as Jim Laughner and hoped that with Moore's help this screenplay would be made
into a film.
Name: June Carter Cash
Born: 23 June 1929 Scott County, Virginia, U.S.
Died: 15 May 2003 Nashville, Tennessee, USA.
Valerie June Carter Cash (June 23, 1929 - May 15, 2003) was a singer, songwriter,
actress and comedian and was a member of the Carter Family, and the second wife
of singer Johnny Cash. She played the guitar, banjo, and autoharp.
Cash was born Valerie June Carter in Maces Springs, Virginia. She was born into
country music and performed with the Carter Family from the young age of ten,
beginning in 1939. In March 1943, when the Carter Family trio stopped recording
together after the WBT contract, Maybelle Carter, with encouragement from her
husband Ezra, formed "Mother Maybelle & the Carter Sisters" with her daughters
Helen, Anita, and June. The new group first aired on radio station WRNL in
Richmond, Virginia, on June 1. Doc and Carl rejoined them in late 1945. June,
then 16, was a co-announcer with Ken Allyn and did the commercials on the radio
shows for "Red Star Flour", "Martha White," and "Thalheimers Department Store,"
just to name a few. For the next year, the Carters and Doc and Carl did show
dates within driving range of Richmond through Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and
Pennsylvania. She later said she had to work harder at her music than her
sisters, but she had her own special talent, comedy. A highlight of the road
shows was her "Aunt Polly" comedy routine. Carl wrote in his memoirs that June
was "a natural born clown, if there ever was one." She attended John Marshall
High School during this period.
Ezra Carter declined Grand Ole Opry offers to move the family to Nashville,
Tennessee a number of times because the Opry would not permit Chet Atkins to
accompany the group. Finally, in 1950 Opry management relented and the group,
along with Atkins, became part of the Opry company. Here the family befriended
Hank Williams and Elvis Presley (to whom they were distantly related), and June
met Johnny Cash.
With her thin and lanky frame, June Carter often played a comedic foil during
the group's performances alongside other Opry stars Faron Young and Webb Pierce.
June Carter Cash is best known for singing and songwriting, but she was also an
author, actress, comedian, philanthropist and humanitarian. Her acting roles
included Mrs. "Momma" Dewey in Robert Duvall's 1998 movie The Apostle, and
Sister Ruth, wife to Johnny Cash's character Kid Cole, on Dr. Quinn, Medicine
Woman (1993-1997). June was also "Momma James," in The Last Days of Frank and
Jesse James.
In 1962 she and Merle Kilgore wrote "Ring of Fire". The song documents Carter's
feelings of conflict arising from her relationship with Johnny Cash. As a singer,
she had both a solo career and a career singing with, first, her family, and
later, her husband. As a solo artist, she became somewhat successful with upbeat
country tunes of the 1950s like "Jukebox Blues" and the comedic hit "No
Swallerin Place" by Frank Loesser with her exaggerated breaths. June also
recorded "The Heel," in the 1960s along with many other songs. She won a Grammy
Award in 1999 for her solo album, Press On. Her last album, Wildwood Flower, was
released posthumously in 2003 and won two additional Grammys. It contains bonus
video enhancements showing extracts from the film of the recording sessions
which took place at the Carter Family Estate in Hiltons, Virginia on September
18-20, 2002. The songs on the album include "Big Yellow Peaches," "Sinking in
the Lonesome Sea," "Temptation," and the trademark staple "Wildwood Flower."
The first draft of her screenplay "The Wildwood Flower" (dated May 1, 1986) is
in the possession of Robin Moore. It was given to Moore at a restaurant in New
York City when she was lunching with him and Robert Duvall. She had cast Duvall
as Jim Laughner and hoped that with Moore's help this screenplay would be made
into a film.