Johnny Cash Proposed to June Carter in Front of a Concert Crowd
She turned him down many times. In 1968, onstage in Canada, she finally said yes.
Johnny Cash and June Carter first met backstage at the Grand Ole Opry in 1956. Both were married to other people at the time.
Ring of Fire
June joined Cash's touring show in the early 1960s. In 1963 Cash recorded Ring of Fire, a song June co-wrote about the overwhelming feeling of falling in love. It became one of his biggest hits.
Getting him well
Through the 1960s, Cash struggled with addiction. June and her family stood by him and helped him recover. He later credited her with saving his life.
The proposal
In February 1968, during a concert in London, Ontario, Cash stopped the show and asked June to marry him in front of the audience. After many earlier refusals, she said yes. They married a week later, on March 1, 1968.
They were together for 35 years. June died in May 2003. Johnny died four months later, in September. Friends said he simply did not want to go on without her.
This story is based on the stars' own interviews and memoirs and on widely reported history. Spotted an error? Tell us and we will correct it.
