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Rosanne Cash (born May 24, 1955) is an American singer-songwriter and author. She is the eldest daughter of
country music Country (also called country and western) is a popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and American southwest, the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is p ...
ian
Johnny Cash John R. Cash (born J. R. Cash; February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American singer-songwriter. Most of his music contains themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption, especially songs from the later stages of his career. ...
and his first wife, Vivian Cash. Although Cash is often classified as a country artist, her music draws from many genres, including folk, pop, rock,
blues Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...
, and in particular, Americana. In the 1980s, she had a string of genre-crossing singles that entered both the country and pop charts, the most commercially successful being her 1981 breakthrough hit " Seven Year Ache". It topped the U.S. country singles chart, and reached the Top 30 on the U.S. pop chart. In 1990, Cash released '' Interiors'', a spare, introspective album that signaled a break from her pop-country past. The following year she ended her marriage to songwriter Rodney Crowell. She moved from
Nashville Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...
to New York City. She has continued to write, record, and perform, having since released six albums, written three books, and edited a collection of short stories. Her fiction and essays have been published in ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'', ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
'', the ''
Oxford American The ''Oxford American'' is a quarterly magazine that focuses on the American South. First publication The magazine was founded in late 1989 in Oxford, Mississippi, by Marc Smirnoff (born July 11, 1963). The name "Oxford American" is a play on ' ...
'', ''
New York Magazine ''New York'' is an American biweekly magazine concerned with life, culture, politics, and style generally, with a particular emphasis on New York City. Founded by Clay Felker and Milton Glaser in 1968 as a competitor to ''The New Yorker'' a ...
'', and other periodicals and collections. Cash won a
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...
in 1985 for " I Don't Know Why You Don't Want Me" and has received 12 other Grammy nominations.Rosannecash.com
"Rosannecash.com"; retrieved 2012-10-01.
She has had 11 No. 1 country hit singles, 21 Top 40 country singles, and two
gold record Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...
s. Cash was the 2014 recipient of '' Smithsonian'' magazine's American Ingenuity Award, in the Performing Arts category. On February 8, 2015, Cash won three Grammy awards: for Best Americana Album for ''The River & the Thread''; Best American Roots Song, with John Leventhal; and Best American Roots Performance for her album ''A Feather's Not A Bird''. Cash was honored further in October that year, when she was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.


Early life

Cash was born in 1955 in
Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. Situated along the Mississippi River, it had a population of 633,104 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of municipalities in Tenne ...
, to Vivian and Johnny Cash, when Johnny was recording his first tracks at Sun Records. She is the first of four daughters.''Johnny Cash biography''
''Sun Records.com''; retrieved 01-01-09
Her mother was Vivian Cash (née Liberto), known to be of maternal Irish, German, and African-American ancestry, and paternal Sicilian. She grew up Catholic and her paternal Liberto grandparents were immigrants from Cefalù,
Palermo Palermo ( ; ; , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital (political), capital of both the autonomous area, autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan province. The ...
.Stated on ''My Darling Vivian Documentary'', February 23, 2020 The Cash couple married in
San Antonio, Texas San Antonio ( ; Spanish for "Anthony of Padua, Saint Anthony") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in Greater San Antonio. San Antonio is the List of Texas metropolitan areas, third-largest metropolitan area in Texa ...
, where Vivian was born and raised. They later lived in
Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. Situated along the Mississippi River, it had a population of 633,104 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of municipalities in Tenne ...
. Vivian attracted attention as Johnny Cash became a star because some observers believed her appearance reflected African-American ancestry, and interracial marriage was illegal in the South. She grew up in Sicilian-American culture in San Antonio, went to white schools in the segregated state, and was registered as white on her marriage license, among other documentation of her family's racial status as white. With Johnny Cash's increasing success in country music, in 1958 he moved the family from Memphis to California, first to Los Angeles. He later bought a farm in Ventura. Her parents separated in 1962, and divorced six years later. Cash and her sisters were raised by their mother Vivian in the isolated, rural location.Wolff, Kurt (2000). In ''Country Music: The Rough Guide''. Orla Duane, Editor. London: Rough Guides Ltd. p. 465. After graduating from St. Bonaventure High School about 1973, Rosanne Cash joined her father's road show for two and a half years. She first worked as a wardrobe assistant,Rosanne Cash: Biography
''RollingStone.com''; retrieved 01-01-09
then as a background vocalist and occasional soloist.Ankeny, Jason ''Rosanne Cash biography''''Allmusic''; retrieved 1-01-09 Rosanne Cash made her studio recording debut on Johnny Cash's 1974 album ''The Junkie and the Juicehead Minus Me'', singing lead vocal on a version of
Kris Kristofferson Kristoffer Kristofferson (June 22, 1936 – September 28, 2024) was an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He was a pioneering figure in the outlaw country movement of the 1970s, moving away from the polished Nashville sound and toward a m ...
's "Broken Freedom Song". In 1976, Johnny Cash recorded Rosanne's song "Love Has Lost Again" on his album '' One Piece At A Time''. This was Rosanne Cash's first professionally recorded work as a songwriter. That same year, she briefly worked for CBS Records in London before returning to
Nashville Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...
to study English and drama at
Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt University (informally Vandy or VU) is a private university, private research university in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, it was named in honor of shipping and railroad magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provide ...
. She relocated to Los Angeles to study at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute in Hollywood.''Cash, Rosanne''
''Country Works.com'' Century of Country; retrieved 01-01-09
She recorded a demo in January 1978 with
Emmylou Harris Emmylou Harris (born April 2, 1947) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, bandleader, and activist. She is considered one of the leading music artists behind the country rock genre in the 1970s and the Americana (music), Americana genre ...
's songwriter/sideman Rodney Crowell, which led to a full album with German label Ariola Records.


Music career


1978–1980: First American release

Cash recorded her self-titled debut album in 1978, but Ariola never released it in the United States. It has since become a collector's item. Mainly recorded and produced in
Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...
, Germany, with German-based musicians, it included three tracks recorded in Nashville and produced by Crowell.CMT biography – Rosanne Cash
''Country Music Television''; retrieved 1-01-09
Though Cash was unhappy with the album, it attracted the attention of
Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American reco ...
, which offered her a recording contract. She began playing with Crowell's band The Cherry Bombs in California clubs. Crowell and Cash married in 1979. That year Cash started work on her first Columbia LP. The album, '' Right or Wrong'', was released in early 1980,Irwin Stambler and Grelun Landon (2000). In ''Country Music: The Encyclopedia''. New York: Macmillan p. 80. and produced three Top 25 singles. The first, "No Memories Hangin' Around", a duet with country singer Bobby Bare, reached 17 on the Country Singles chart in 1979. It was followed by " Couldn't Do Nothing Right" and "Take Me, Take Me" in 1980. ''Rosanne Cash Charts and Awards''''Allmusic''; retrieved 01-01-09 Although Cash was pregnant with her first child and unable to tour in support of the album, it was a critical success. Cash and Crowell moved to
Nashville Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...
in 1981.


1981–1989: Critical and commercial success

Cash's career picked up considerable momentum with the release of her second album, '' Seven Year Ache'', in 1981. The album achieved critical raves and solid sales. The title track was a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Country Chart and crossed over to the Billboard Pop Chart, peaking at No. 22. The album yielded two additional No. 1 country hits, " My Baby Thinks He's a Train" and " Blue Moon with Heartache", and was certified Gold by the
RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
. Cash's third album, '' Somewhere in the Stars'' (1982), was considered a disappointment after the commercial success of ''Seven Year Ache''. But the album still reached the Top 100 of the U.S. pop album charts and included three U.S. country chart singles, " Ain't No Money", "I Wonder", and "It Hasn't Happened Yet".Rosanne Cash biography
''oldies.com''; retrieved 1-01-09
Cash struggled with
substance abuse Substance misuse, also known as drug misuse or, in older vernacular, substance abuse, is the use of a drug in amounts or by methods that are harmful to the individual or others. It is a form of substance-related disorder, differing definition ...
during this period of time; in 1984 she sought medical treatment. After a three-year hiatus, Cash released her fourth studio album, '' Rhythm & Romance'' (1985). It yielded two No. 1 hits, " I Don't Know Why You Don't Want Me" and " Never Be You", and two other Country Top 10 singles, "Hold On" and "Second to No One". ''Rhythm & Romance'' drew high critical praise for its fusion of country and pop. "I Don't Know Why You Don't Want Me" won the 1985
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...
for Best Female Country Vocal Performance; "Hold On" won the 1987 Robert J. Burton Award from BMI as the Most Performed Song of the Year. In the 1980s, Cash curtailed her touring while raising a family with Crowell. (They had three daughters together, and she also reared Hannah, Crowell's daughter by his first marriage). She continued to record and in 1987 released the most critically acclaimed album of her career, '' King's Record Shop''.Thom Jurek King's Record Shop-Overview''Allmusic.com''; retrieved 01-01-09 It spawned four No. 1 hits, including a cover version of her father's " Tennessee Flat Top Box", John Hiatt's " The Way We Make a Broken Heart", " If You Change Your Mind", and John Stewart's " Runaway Train". It became Cash's second gold album. In 1988 Cash recorded a duet with Crowell, " It's Such a Small World" (released on his '' Diamonds & Dirt'' album), which also went to No. 1 on the country charts. Cash was named ''Billboard'''s Top Singles Artist of the year. In 1989, Columbia released her first compilation album, '' Hits 1979–1989''. The album yielded two new hit singles, the
Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...
cover " I Don't Want to Spoil the Party", which landed at No. 1 on the ''Billboard'' country charts, and "Black and White", which earned Cash her fifth Grammy nomination.


1990–1995: Break up and relocation

In 1990, Cash released the critically acclaimed, deeply personal '' Interiors.'' Cash produced herself for the first time and wrote or co-wrote all the songs. "Her brutally dark take on intimate relationships was reflected throughout and made clear the marital problems that had been hinted at on earlier albums." "Highly autobiographical (though Cash has often insisted it is not quite as true to life as everyone assumes), Interiors was a brilliant, introspective album"Rosanne Cash Interview
''Pop Entertainment''; retrieved 01-01-09
and "her masterpiece".Thom Jurek Interiors-Overview''Allmusic''; retrieved 01-01-09 Other critics called it "maudlin" and "pessimistic". ''Interiors'' topped many best album lists in 1990 and received a Grammy award nomination for Best Contemporary Folk Album. It yielded one Top 40 single ("What We Really Want") and marked the beginning of sharp commercial decline for Cash. Though it may have been inspired by the breakup of her marriage, it also signified her departure from Nashville and its country music establishment. In 1991 Cash relocated to New York City; in 1992, she and Crowell divorced. '' The Wheel'', released in 1993, was "an unflinchingly confessional examination of the marriage's failure that ranked as her most musically diverse effort to date". The album was Cash's last for Columbia Records. It received considerable acclaim from critics, though neither of its two singles, "The Wheel" or "You Won't Let Me In", charted.


1995–present: New York, new albums and books

Cash settled in lower
Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...
and in 1995 married producer/songwriter/guitarist John Leventhal, with whom she had co-produced ''The Wheel''. She signed with
Capitol Records Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007), and simply known as Capitol, is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-base ...
and in 1996 released '' 10 Song Demo'', a collection of stark home recordings with minimal accompaniment. She also pursued a career as a writer and in 1996 Hyperion published the short story collection ''Bodies of Water'' to favorable reviews. In 1997, Cash was awarded an honorary doctorate from Memphis College of Art. She gave the commencement address that year. She has continued to speak publicly on writing and music. In 1998, she and Leventhal began working on what would later become ''Rules of Travel''. The recording sessions were cut short when she became pregnant. What was more difficult was that she was unable to sing for two and a half years, due to a polyp on her vocal cords. Cash turned to focus on her writing. She published a children's book, ''Penelope Jane: A Fairy's Tale'' (2000), which included an exclusive CD and was published by
HarperCollins HarperCollins Publishers LLC is a British–American publishing company that is considered to be one of the "Big Five (publishers), Big Five" English-language publishers, along with Penguin Random House, Hachette Book Group USA, Hachette, Macmi ...
. The following year she edited a collection of short fiction by songwriters titled ''Songs Without Rhyme: Prose by Celebrated Songwriters'' (2001). Recovering her voice, she resumed recording and in 2003 released '' Rules of Travel'', her first full-fledged studio album for Capitol. The album had guest appearances by
Sheryl Crow Sheryl Suzanne Crow (born February 11, 1962) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and actress. She is noted for her Optimism, optimistic and Idealism, idealistic subject matter, and incorporation of genres including Rock music, rock, Po ...
and Steve Earle, a song co-written by Joe Henry and Jakob Dylan, and the poignant "September When It Comes," a duet with her father Johnny Cash. ''Rules of Travel'' was nominated for a 2003 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album. Cash was also an inaugural member of the Independent Music Awards' judging panel to support independent artists. In 2005, Legacy Recordings reissued her ''Seven Year Ache'' (1981), ''King's Record Shop'' (1987), and ''Interiors'' (1990). It also released a new collection spanning 1979–2003, ''The Very Best of Rosanne Cash''. In 2006, Cash released '' Black Cadillac'', an album marking the losses of both her stepmother
June June is the sixth and current month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars—the latter the most widely used calendar in the world. Its length is 30 days. June succeeds May and precedes July. This month marks the start of su ...
, and father Johnny, who both died in 2003. Her mother, Vivian Cash Distin, died in 2005 as Rosanne finished the album.Rosanne Cash Biography
''NetGlimse.com''; retrieved 01-01-09
The album was critically praised, and named to the Top 10 lists of ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'',Rosanne Cash: Black Cadillac Reviews
''Metacritic.com''; retrieved 01-01-09
''Billboard'', PopMatters, NPR and other general interest and music publications. The album was nominated for a 2006 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk/Americana Album. Cash toured extensively in support of the album. She created a
multimedia Multimedia is a form of communication that uses a combination of different content forms, such as Text (literary theory), writing, Sound, audio, images, animations, or video, into a single presentation. T ...
performance, with video, imagery and narration drawn from the songs and from her family history. In 2006, a short documentary by filmmaker Steve Lippman, "Mariners and Musicians", based on the album and interviews with Cash, premiered at the
Tribeca Film Festival The Tribeca Festival is an annual film festival organized by Tribeca Enterprises. It takes place each spring in New York City, showcasing a diverse selection of film, episodic, talks, music, games, art, and immersive programming. The festival ...
and was screened at festivals worldwide. Cash's music was also featured prominently in an American Masters biography of photographer
Annie Leibovitz Anna-Lou Leibovitz ( ; born October 2, 1949) is an American Portrait photography, portrait photographer best known for her portraits, particularly of celebrities, which often feature subjects in intimate settings and poses. Leibovitz's Polaroid ...
. She had photographed Cash and her family numerous times.Annie Leibovitz: Life Through a Lens
, ''American Masters''; retrieved 01-01-09
In late 2007, Cash underwent brain surgery for a rare condition ( Chiari I malformation) and was forced to cancel her remaining concert dates. After a successful recovery,Rosanne Cash Recuperating from Brain Surgery
''Country Music Television & Updates''; retrieved 1-01-09.
she resumed writing and live appearances. In 2008 she wrote for ''Measure for Measure'', the songwriters' column in ''The New York Times''; recorded with
Kris Kristofferson Kristoffer Kristofferson (June 22, 1936 – September 28, 2024) was an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He was a pioneering figure in the outlaw country movement of the 1970s, moving away from the polished Nashville sound and toward a m ...
and
Elvis Costello Declan Patrick MacManus (born 25 August 1954), known professionally as Elvis Costello, is an English singer, songwriter, record producer, author and television host. According to ''Rolling Stone'', Costello "reinvigorated the literate, lyrical ...
, and appeared on Costello's TV series ''Spectacle''. Cash released her next studio album, entitled '' The List'', on October 6, 2009. The album is based on a list of 100 greatest country and American songs that Johnny Cash gave her when she was 18. Cash picked 12 songs out of the 100 for the album. The album features vocal duets with
Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American Rock music, rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Nicknamed "the Boss", Springsteen has released 21 studio albums spanning six decades; most of his albums feature th ...
, Elvis Costello, Jeff Tweedy, and Rufus Wainwright. An iTunes Store-only 13th song features a duet with Neko Case. On September 9, 2010, the Americana Music Association named '' The List'' the Album of the Year. In addition to her own recordings, Cash has made guest appearances on albums by
Jeff Bridges Jeffrey Leon Bridges (born December 4, 1949) is an American actor. He is known for his Leading actor, leading man roles in film and television. In a career spanning over seven decades, he has received List of awards and nominations received by ...
, Rodney Crowell,
Guy Clark Guy Charles Clark (November 6, 1941 – May 17, 2016) was an American folk and country singer-songwriter and luthier. He released more than 20 albums, and his songs have been recorded by other artists, including Townes Van Zandt, Jerry Jeff ...
, Vince Gill, Lyle Lovett, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Marc Cohn,
The Chieftains The Chieftains were a traditional Irish folk band formed in Dublin in 1962, by Paddy Moloney, Seán Potts and Michael Tubridy. Their sound, which is almost entirely instrumental and largely built around uilleann pipes, has become synonymous w ...
, John Stewart, Willy Mason, Mike Doughty, Black 47 and others, as well as children's albums by Larry Kirwan, Tom Chapin, and Dan Zanes and Friends. She has also appeared on tribute albums to The Band,
Johnny Cash John R. Cash (born J. R. Cash; February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American singer-songwriter. Most of his music contains themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption, especially songs from the later stages of his career. ...
,
Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan; born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Described as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture over his nearly 70-year ...
, Woody Guthrie,
Jimi Hendrix James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American singer-songwriter and musician. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential guitarists of all time. Inducted ...
, John Hiatt,
Kris Kristofferson Kristoffer Kristofferson (June 22, 1936 – September 28, 2024) was an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He was a pioneering figure in the outlaw country movement of the 1970s, moving away from the polished Nashville sound and toward a m ...
, Laura Nyro,
Yoko Ono Yoko Ono (, usually spelled in katakana as ; born February 18, 1933) is a Japanese multimedia artist, singer, songwriter, and peace activist. Her work also encompasses performance art and filmmaking. Ono grew up in Tokyo and moved to New York ...
, Doc Pomus, and
Tammy Wynette Tammy Wynette (born Virginia Wynette Pugh; May 5, 1942 – April 6, 1998) was an American country music singer and songwriter, considered among the genre's most influential and successful artists. Along with Loretta Lynn, Wynette helped bring a ...
. Cash wrote ''Composed: A Memoir'' (2010), "a pointillistic memoir about growing up with and without her father, and about how she slid out from under his shadow to become a gifted artist in her own right." It became a ''New York Times'' Bestseller. In November 2011, Cash performed with the Minnesota Orchestra. In preparation for the event, she worked with composer Stephen Barber to orchestrate nine of her songs. The tourism organization Brand USA enlisted Cash to develop a song to promote foreign tourism to the United States. In April 2012, she released the song "Land of Dreams"; it was used by Brand USA in video advertisements and online as part of a global tourism campaign. On February 6, 2012, Cash received the AFTRA Media and Entertainment Excellence Award in Sound Recordings. Cash sang the part of Monique on the 2013 album '' Ghost Brothers of Darkland County'', a collaboration between rock singer John Mellencamp and novelist
Stephen King Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author. Dubbed the "King of Horror", he is widely known for his horror novels and has also explored other genres, among them Thriller (genre), suspense, crime fiction, crime, scienc ...
. Cash gave the closing speech at the Association of Performing Arts Presenters' conference, APAP, NYC, in January 2013. Cash signed with Blue Note Records in 2013 to release a new original album. '' The River & the Thread'' was released on January 14, 2014. It was Cash's first album in more than four years. ''The River & the Thread'' is a collection of songs written with husband and collaborator John Leventhal, inspired by trips through the American South. Cash describes ''The River & The Thread'' as "a mini-travelogue of the South, and of the soul." The journey included visits to father Johnny Cash's childhood home in
Dyess, Arkansas Dyess is a town in Mississippi County, Arkansas, Mississippi County, Arkansas, United States. Founded as Dyess Colony in 1934 by the Federal Emergency Relief Administration as part of the Franklin D. Roosevelt, Roosevelt administration's agricult ...
; her own early childhood home in Memphis, Tennessee; William Faulkner's house; Dockery Plantation in Cleveland, Mississippi; the plantation where Howlin' Wolf and Charley Patton worked and sang;
Natchez, Mississippi Natchez ( ) is the only city in and the county seat of Adams County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 14,520 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Located on the Mississippi River across from Vidalia, Louisiana, Natchez was ...
; the blues trail; and the Tallahatchie Bridge. They visited Natalie Chanin, a master seamstress in Florence, Alabama. Throughout 2014, Cash toured extensively with partner John Leventhal, performing ''The River & The Thread'' together with first-person stories woven through historical time, to much critical acclaim. ''The River & The Thread'' was the Number One album of 2014 on Americana radio, and was honored by ''
USA Today ''USA Today'' (often stylized in all caps) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth in 1980 and launched on September 14, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headq ...
,
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
,
The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture publication based in Greenwich Village, New York City, known for being the country's first Alternative newspaper, alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf (publisher), Dan Wolf, ...
,
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
,
The Huffington Post ''HuffPost'' (''The Huffington Post'' until 2017, itself often abbreviated as ''HPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and covers p ...
, NPR Fresh Air,
Uncut (magazine) ''Uncut'' is a monthly magazine based in London. It is available across the English-speaking world, and focuses on music, but also includes film and books sections. A DVD magazine under the ''Uncut'' brand was published quarterly from 2005 to 2006 ...
, No Depression,
The Sun (UK) The Sun is the star at the centre of the Solar System. It is a massive, nearly perfect sphere of hot plasma, heated to incandescence by nuclear fusion reactions in its core, radiating the energy from its surface mainly as visible light ...
,'' and ''
American Songwriter ''American Songwriter'' is a bimonthly magazine covering songwriting. Established in 1984, it features interviews, songwriting tips, news, reviews and lyric contest. The magazine is based in Nashville, Tennessee. History The ''American Songwri ...
'' as one of the top albums of 2014. On February 8, 2015, Cash won three Grammy awards for Best Americana Album for ''The River & The Thread'', and Best American Roots Song with John Leventhal and Best American Roots Performance for "A Feather's Not A Bird". In 2015, Cash was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, honored as Artist-in-Residence at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, and selected as Carnegie Hall's 2015-2016 Perspective Series Artist. In 2018, Cash signed with ICM Partners and released a new album entitled "She Remembers Everything." On February 29, 2020, Cash, with her band, performed at the historic Universal Preservation Hall in
Saratoga Springs, New York Saratoga Springs is a Administrative divisions of New York#City, city in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 28,491 at the United States Census 2020, 2020 census. The name reflects the presence of mineral springs in the ...
. It had been restored and upgraded to a state-of-the-art performing arts venue.


Personal life


Family

Cash has three younger sisters: Kathy, Cindy, and Tara. Her parents divorced in 1966. Her father married June Carter in 1968, who had two daughters. The couple had a son together, John Carter Cash, Rosanne's half-brother. Cash's stepsisters both became country singers: *
Carlene Carter Carlene Carter (born Rebecca Carlene Smith; September 26, 1955) is an American country music singer and songwriter. She is the daughter of June Carter Cash and her first husband, Carl Smith (country musician), Carl Smith. Since 1978, Carter has ...
(from June's marriage to singer Carl Smith) and * Rosie Nix Adams, ''aka Rosie Carter'' (from June's marriage to Edwin "Rip" Nix). Cash's stepmother and father died in 2003, and her mother in 2005. Cash married country music singer-songwriter Rodney Crowell in 1979. They have three daughters: Caitlin Rivers, Chelsea Jane, and Carrie Kathleen. Cash also raised Crowell's daughter from a previous marriage, Hannah. Cash and Crowell divorced in 1992. She married her second husband, John Leventhal, in 1995, and they have one son, Jakob. Cash lives with her husband and son in Chelsea, Manhattan. In February 2021, Cash appeared as a guest on ''
Finding Your Roots ''Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr.'' is an American documentary television series hosted by Henry Louis Gates Jr. that premiered on March 25, 2012, on PBS. In each episode, celebrities are presented with a "book of life" that is com ...
'', the PBS TV series hosted by historian Henry Louis Gates, Jr. Among what was learned about her ancestors, genealogists discovered that one of Cash's 16 maternal great-great-great-grandmothers, Sarah A. Shields, was a mixed-race woman born into slavery in
South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...
, who later lived with her parents and siblings in Alabama. The researchers were unable to learn the name of her enslaved African-American mother. Sarah and her eight mixed-race siblings were all freed in 1848 by their white father, Irish-American planter William Shields, who gained the required act of the Alabama state legislature to achieve this. Sarah, her siblings and their descendants all married white as did their descendants. Many of the extended family moved to Texas, to Mexico during the Civil War, and then back to Texas. In 1870 in Texas, Lafayette Robinson, one of Cash's direct maternal ancestors, was classified as '
mulatto ( , ) is a Race (human categorization), racial classification that refers to people of mixed Sub-Saharan African, African and Ethnic groups in Europe, European ancestry only. When speaking or writing about a singular woman in English, the ...
' on the census. With continued intermarriage with whites, descendants were accepted as white. They were classified as white in Texas in death certificates of the 1930s and the census of 1930. Along with studying documents, other researchers analyzed Cash's DNA. They found she had 3.3% sub-Saharan African markers, and African ancestry on her father's side, as well as on her mother's. This was likely from the same period of slave society in the South. Gates found that Cash and actress Angela Bassett are distant relatives through shared DNA from a common African-American ancestor.Stated on ''
Finding Your Roots ''Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr.'' is an American documentary television series hosted by Henry Louis Gates Jr. that premiered on March 25, 2012, on PBS. In each episode, celebrities are presented with a "book of life" that is com ...
'', February 23, 2021
She later joined the Daughters of the American Revolution.


Health

On November 27, 2007, Cash was admitted to New York's Presbyterian Hospital for brain surgery. In a press statement, she announced that she suffered from Chiari malformation type I and expected to "make a full recovery". The surgery was successful, though recovery was slow, and in March 2008 she was forced to cancel her spring tour dates for further recuperation. She wrote about the experience in her ''
New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' article "Well, Actually, It ''Is'' Brain Surgery". She resumed writing, recording and performing in late summer of 2008.


Other projects

Cash supports several charitable organizations. She is a longtime board member of The Center To Prevent Youth Violence (CPYV), formally known as PAX, an organization dedicated to preventing gun violence among children. She was honored by PAX at their fifth annual benefit gala in 2005. Cash is a frequent guest teacher at the English and Songwriting programs of various colleges and universities including LeMoyne, Fairleigh-Dickinson and NYU. Cash has been associated with Children, Incorporated for more than 25 years and has sponsored many children through the organization, which works to support and educate needy children and young adults worldwide. Cash was elected to the Century Association in 2009 She also works with Arkansas State University on the Johnny Cash Boyhood Home project, which has restored her father's childhood home in
Dyess, Arkansas Dyess is a town in Mississippi County, Arkansas, Mississippi County, Arkansas, United States. Founded as Dyess Colony in 1934 by the Federal Emergency Relief Administration as part of the Franklin D. Roosevelt, Roosevelt administration's agricult ...
. The Cash family has supported the restoration by raising money through annual music festivals. Rosanne hosted the first and second annual Johnny Cash Music Festivals in 2011 and 2012. She resumed rotating host duties with her half-brother John Carter when the festival resumed at Dyess in 2017. In 2014 Cash contributed essays to the '' Oxford-American'' and the book of collected essays edited by Sari Botton ''Never Can Say Goodbye: Writers On Their Unshakable Love For New York''. She was also featured in Gael Towey's ''Portraits in Creativity'' as a featured artist for her Profile Series. Cash is a dedicated supporter of artists' rights in the digital age and sits on the board of the Content Creators Coalition. On June 25, 2014, Cash testified before The House of Representatives, Judiciary Committee on intellectual property rights and Internet music licensing. In 2018, Cash was a recipient of an honorary doctorate degree from Berklee College of Music.


Discography

:Studio albums * 1978: '' Rosanne Cash'' * 1980: '' Right or Wrong'' * 1981: '' Seven Year Ache'' * 1982: '' Somewhere in the Stars'' * 1985: '' Rhythm & Romance'' * 1987: '' King's Record Shop'' * 1990: '' Interiors'' * 1993: '' The Wheel'' * 1996: '' 10 Song Demo'' * 2003: '' Rules of Travel'' * 2006: '' Black Cadillac'' * 2009: '' The List'' * 2014: '' The River & the Thread'' * 2018: '' She Remembers Everything''


Books and articles

* * * * Cash's work has also appeared in ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'', ''
The Oxford American The ''Oxford American'' is a quarterly magazine that focuses on the American South. First publication The magazine was founded in late 1989 in Oxford, Mississippi, by Marc Smirnoff (born July 11, 1963). The name "Oxford American" is a play on ' ...
'', ''
New York Magazine ''New York'' is an American biweekly magazine concerned with life, culture, politics, and style generally, with a particular emphasis on New York City. Founded by Clay Felker and Milton Glaser in 1968 as a competitor to ''The New Yorker'' a ...
'', ''
Newsweek ''Newsweek'' is an American weekly news magazine based in New York City. Founded as a weekly print magazine in 1933, it was widely distributed during the 20th century and has had many notable editors-in-chief. It is currently co-owned by Dev P ...
'', ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
'', and ''
Martha Stewart Living ''Martha Stewart Living'' is a magazine A magazine is a periodical literature, periodical publication, print or digital, produced on a regular schedule, that contains any of a variety of subject-oriented textual and visual content (media), ...
''.


Awards and honors

Academy of Country Music Awards Americana Music Honors & Awards Country Music Association Awards
Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...

To date, Cash has been nominated for 15 Grammy Awards across four genre categories: Country, Folk, Pop and American Roots. Other honors In 2021, Cash was awarded The Edward MacDowell Medal by The MacDowell Colony for outstanding contributions to American culture. On May 7, 2022, Cash was awarded an honorary doctorate degree in Humane Letters by Arkansas State University. She was the keynote speaker during commencement.


References


External links

* *
NPR Music: Rosanne Cash artist page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cash, Rosanne 1955 births 20th-century American guitarists American country singer-songwriters American women country singers American people of English descent American people of Scottish descent Ariola Records artists Blue Note Records artists Capitol Records artists Cash–Carter family Columbia Records artists Daughters of the American Revolution people Grammy Award winners Country musicians from Tennessee Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute alumni Living people Manhattan Records artists Singers from Memphis, Tennessee Guitarists from Tennessee Vanderbilt University alumni People from Chelsea, Manhattan 20th-century American women guitarists Singer-songwriters from Tennessee Singer-songwriters from New York (state) 21st-century American women guitarists People of African-American descent