JULY 5, 2003 – Johnny Cash (b. February 26, 1932) made his last ever live performance when he appeared at the Carter Ranch in Hiltons, Virginia near Bristol. His late wife June Carter Cash (June 23, 1929 – May 15, 2003) had told Johnny to keep working, so he continued to record, completing 60 more songs in the last four months of his life, and even performing a couple of surprise shows at the Carter Family home on this date and a previous appearance on June 21st.Before singing “Ring of Fire”, Cash read a statement about his late wife that he had written shortly before taking the stage: “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.” Cash died two months later of complications from diabetes on September 12th.
The post JULY 5, 2003 – Johnny Cash made his last ever live performance at the Carter Ranch in Hiltons appeared first on NSF - Music Magazine.