Johnny Cash was just weeks away from his passing and visibly frail when he took the stage for his final public performance on July 5, 2003. Despite his condition, he carried the defiant spirit that had defined his career.
Cash was grappling with numerous health issues and grieving the loss of his wife, June Carter Cash, who had passed on May 15, 2003. Assisted from his wheelchair to a seat in front of the microphone, he performed a 30-minute set at the Carter Family Fold in Hiltons, Virginia. Yet, with a grin, he greeted the crowd in his signature way: “Hello, I’m Johnny Cash,” as cheers filled the room.
Cash, as always, accompanied himself on acoustic guitar, joined by bassist Bobby Starnes and guitarist Jerry Hensley. He opened with “Folsom Prison Blues,” followed by “I Walk the Line” and “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down.”
The point in the show where Cash wears his heart on his sleeve is when he acknowledges his late wife’s death.
Cash Stated, “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. She’s never been one for me, except courage and inspiration. I thank God for June Carter. I love her with all my heart.” A touching testament that surely made all in attendance contemplate the life and love of Johnny Cash.
Cash then introduced “Ring of Fire,” the song June wrote about the early days of their relationship, saying, “I would like to do a song that she wrote that she was extremely proud of.”
He followed with “Angel Band,” a song June had requested Emmylou Harris to sing at her funeral, before closing with “Big River” and “Understand Your Man.” Cash joked about the noise they were making on stage, particularly his electric guitarist, whom he humorously insisted he wouldn’t let the venue remove.
Reflecting on the first time he played with electric instruments at the Carter Family Fold, Cash recalled his cousin’s introduction: “Well, I know that we don’t allow anybody to plug in when they’re here, but June said that Johnny Cash was already plugged in when she met him.”
Just nine weeks after this final performance, on September 12, 2003, Cash passed away from respiratory failure due to complications from diabetes, at the age of 71.