God-mother of country music star Hank Williams Jr.
Step-mother of Country music star Rosanne Cash
Daughter of late country singer & matriarch Mother Maybelle Carter.
Duetted with Homer and Jethro on their 1949 parody recording of the Frank Loesser composition "Baby, It's Cold Outside".
Once studied acting in the 50s with director Elia Kazan and acting guru Lee Strasberg.
In the 50s she was twice married: to honky-tonk singer Carl Smith (they had a daughter Rebecca) and Edwin "Rip" Nix, (they had a daughter Rozanna (Rosie). Both daughters became singers. John Carter Cash, born in 1970, was the product from her marriage to singer Johnny Cash .
Elvis Presley introduced June to the music of Johnny Cash in the mid-50s and she began working with Johnny after a chance meeting at the Grand Ol' Opry a few years later. She retired from her solo singing career after marrying Cash in 1968.
She began back in the 40s as a member of the Carter Family singing group, a pioneering force in country music's jump from regional to mainstream popularity. Two of their biggest hits were "Will the Circle Be Unbroken?" and "Keep on the Sunny Side."
Co-wrote such hits as "Ring of Fire", "Long-Legged Guitar Pickin' Man" and "Jackson" the latter of which won her and husband Johnny Cash a Grammy award together in 1967. They later shared a second Grammy for their 1970 interpretation of "If I Were a Carpenter." Her only solo Grammy award came from her 1999 album "Press On" which won for best folk album.
Mother of John Carter Cash.
Stepmother of Tara Cash, Kathy Cash and Cindy Cash.
Sister of Anita Carter and Helen Carter.
Distant cousin of former president Jimmy Carter.
Mother of Rosey Nix Adams.
Is portrayed by Reese Witherspoon in Walk the Line (2005)
Amongst those who attended her funeral included Karen Adams, Anna Bisceglia, Martha Brooks, Ronnie Dunn, Robert Duvall, Rosemary Edelman, Betty Hagewood, Kelly Hancock, Shirley Huffines, James Keach, Merle Kilgore, Peggy Knight, Kris Kristofferson, Luke Lewis, Dan McKinnon, Willie Nelson, Karen Robin, Lou Robin, Scott Robinson, Michele Rollins, Rick Rubin, Jane Seymour, Ramona Stratton, Lisa Trice, Hank Williams Jr., Marie Wolfe, Roland Wolfe and Wayne Womack.
June Carter Cash Detailed Biography
June Carter Cash (born Valerie June Carter; June 23, 1929 – May 15, 2003), middle daughter of Ezra (Eck) Carter and Maybelle Carter (Mother Maybelle), was a singer, songwriter, a member of the first family of country music, the Carter Family, and married to legendary singer Johnny Cash. She was born in Maces Springs, Virginia and played guitar, banjo, and autoharp.
In the winter of 1938–1939 the Carter Family travelled to Texas where they had a twice-daily program on border radio station XERA (later XERF) in Villa Acuña (now Ciudad Acuña), Mexico, across the border from Del Rio, Texas. Then in school, June did not accompany them. Beginning with the 1939/1940 season, June joined the Carters, this time in San Antonio, Texas, where the group's work was pre-recorded and distributed to multiple border radio stations (XELO, XEG, XERB, and XEPN). June's musical contribution to the group consisted of her autoharp playing.
In Fall, 1942, the Carters moved their program to WBT radio in Charlotte, North Carolina for a one year contract. They occupied the sunrise slot with the program airing between 5:15 and 6:15 a.m. June attended Paw Creek High School following the show on weekdays.
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 Carter, Anita Carter, and June. The new group first aired on radio station WRNL in Richmond, Virginia on 1 June 1943. June attended John Marshall High School during this period. In 1946, they moved to more powerful, semi clear-channel WRVA in the same city. In 1948, the group left Richmond and returned to Maces Springs.
After a short stay in southwest Virginia, Mother Maybelle and the Carter Sisters headed off to Knoxville, Tennessee where they had yet another radio contract on WNOX. Here they met and teamed with a young Chet Atkins. In 1949, the family travelled to Springfield, Missouri where they entertained on KWTO.
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 and June would meet Johnny Cash.
With her thin and lanky frame June often played a comedic foil during the group's performances alongside other Opry stars Faron Young and Webb Pierce.
