# Johnny Cash’s sister returns to their childhood home, takes visitors on ‘bittersweet’ tour **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 24, 2017, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnny-cash-s-sister-returns-to-their-childhood-home-takes-visitors-on-bittersweet-tour/799679 "2017-10-24T03:06:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2017, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnny-cash-s-sister-returns-to-their-childhood-home-takes-visitors-on-bittersweet-tour/799679/1 "2017-10-24T03:06:07Z")
I’m not sure if many people are aware that Johnny Cash’s childhood home has been restored. The surviving members of the Cash family worked closely with Arkansas State University to restore the home as it was in the 1930’s and 40’s. The family donated several historical items to the project It’s a special place for the Cash family. Johnny’s brother Jack died there after an accident at a sawmill. The family visits occasionally and reminisces about their lives in this small house. I’d suggest visiting if you’re traveling through the Memphis or St Louis area. It’s worth the detour. It’s not far from Jonesboro AR. I’ve been to the Cash boyhood home exhibit twice… State web site [http://dyesscash.astate.edu](http://dyesscash.astate.edu) > **[Johnny Cash's sister returns to their childhood home, takes visitors on...](https://talkbusiness.net/2017/10/johnny-cashs-sister-returns-to-their-childhood-home-takes-visitors-on-bittersweet-tour/)** > > Long, barren row crop fields surround the tiny house that sits down a gravel road more than two miles long. A few tractors milled in the fields, as the sun... > [@](#): > > Arkansas State University Heritage Sites Director Dr. Ruth Hawkins told Talk Business & Politics Joanne and Tommy Cash were crucial to the restoration of the home. The siblings provided project leaders with every single detail of the home. ASU began restoration on the Cash childhood home in 2011. The dwelling was restored to its original condition, and an administrative building built into the old Colony theatre. The project cost about $3.5 million. Roseanne Cash tours the home. It hadn’t been fully furnished. A lot of exhibits have been setup that documents the family’s life. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/4rQyr1oohbY/hqdefault.jpg "Rosanne Cash: The road home") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rQyr1oohbY) The restoration project. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/kMLDP0Vg8qo/maxresdefault.jpg "Johnny Cash Boyhood Home Restoration") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMLDP0Vg8qo) ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2017, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnny-cash-s-sister-returns-to-their-childhood-home-takes-visitors-on-bittersweet-tour/799679/2 "2017-10-24T03:20:50Z")
I goofed. I thought I was in Cafe. I’ll ask the mods to move the thread. Rosanne Cash at the grand opening. You can see how nicely it’s been furnished. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/Qas7vkjhQSc/maxresdefault.jpg "Johnny Cash Boyhood Home Opening Rosanne's Reaction") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qas7vkjhQSc) ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2017, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnny-cash-s-sister-returns-to-their-childhood-home-takes-visitors-on-bittersweet-tour/799679/3 "2017-10-24T03:47:05Z")
**Moderator Action** > [@aceplace57](#): > > I’ll ask the mods to move the thread. Moving thread from GQ to Cafe Society. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2017, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnny-cash-s-sister-returns-to-their-childhood-home-takes-visitors-on-bittersweet-tour/799679/4 "2017-10-24T03:55:19Z")
Thank you 😃 ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2017, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnny-cash-s-sister-returns-to-their-childhood-home-takes-visitors-on-bittersweet-tour/799679/5 "2017-10-24T04:17:55Z")
Johnny’s entire family played music. His mother’s piano has been donated to the restored home. His brother Tommy is a well known producer and musician. His sister Joanne is a Gospel singer. She’s been performing since the early 1960’s. Heres a song she wrote & performed. She must be in her eighties now. She still sings ok. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/YQq7iZEcVP8/maxresdefault.jpg "JOANNE CASH - LITTLE BIT OF YESTERDAY") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQq7iZEcVP8) Johnny’s daughter, Rosanne has received many awards for her albums. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2017, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnny-cash-s-sister-returns-to-their-childhood-home-takes-visitors-on-bittersweet-tour/799679/6 "2017-10-24T18:09:07Z")
I have to admit that I don’t really see the interest here (and I say that as someone who respects Cash for his musical contributions even if I’m not really a fan), though that’s not specifically limited to the Cash house. Cash, as far as I’m aware, never wrote any autobiographical songs which referenced his childhood (obviously there are other autobiographical songs such as _Folsom Prison Blues_). ISTM this is primarily a cash grab (no pun intended) based on the popularity of _Walk the Line_. To use a contrary example, Mark Twain’s childhood home in Hannibal is historically significant because some of his works include descriptions of it. So it makes sense for it to be maintained as a museum. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2017, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnny-cash-s-sister-returns-to-their-childhood-home-takes-visitors-on-bittersweet-tour/799679/7 "2017-10-24T18:19:33Z")
How High is the Water Mama is autobiographical It’s Johnny’s culture I identify with. My dad’s father was a sharecropper for much of his life. He eventually bought his own land. He always plowed with a mule and refused to use a tractor. My dad’s childhood mirrored Johnny’s childhood. They were only five years apart in age. My dad was born in 27 and Johnny in 32. They both lived through the depression and saw older family members serve in WWII. A lot of people’s farming roots are only one or two generations away. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/jI7M2ELPtro/hqdefault.jpg "Johnny Cash " How High is The Water Momma " rare video") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jI7M2ELPtro) ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2017, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnny-cash-s-sister-returns-to-their-childhood-home-takes-visitors-on-bittersweet-tour/799679/8 "2017-10-24T19:45:09Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > I have to admit that I don’t really see the interest here (and I say that as someone who respects Cash for his musical contributions even if I’m not really a fan), though that’s not specifically limited to the Cash house. Cash, as far as I’m aware, never wrote any autobiographical songs which referenced his childhood **(obviously there are other autobiographical songs such as _Folsom Prison Blues_)**. ISTM this is primarily a cash grab (no pun intended) based on the popularity of _Walk the Line_. > > To use a contrary example, Mark Twain’s childhood home in Hannibal is historically significant because some of his works include descriptions of it. So it makes sense for it to be maintained as a museum. (my bolding) Johnny Cash was never in prison, nor did he ever shoot anyone, in Reno or anywhere else. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2017, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnny-cash-s-sister-returns-to-their-childhood-home-takes-visitors-on-bittersweet-tour/799679/9 "2017-10-24T19:46:38Z")
He served seven (separate) nights in jail. Close enough. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2017, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnny-cash-s-sister-returns-to-their-childhood-home-takes-visitors-on-bittersweet-tour/799679/10 "2017-10-24T20:17:50Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > He served seven (separate) nights in jail. Close enough. All of them long after he wrote Folsom Prison Blues. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2017, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnny-cash-s-sister-returns-to-their-childhood-home-takes-visitors-on-bittersweet-tour/799679/11 "2017-10-24T20:26:29Z")
Johnny’s background gave him an appreciation for the downtrodden and he knew what it was like to live in poverty. He did sometimes let the “I’m a star” nonsense lead him astray. But, he always returned to his roots and sang for the people struggling to make it. Merle Haggard came from similar circumstances and was much the same way. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2017, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnny-cash-s-sister-returns-to-their-childhood-home-takes-visitors-on-bittersweet-tour/799679/12 "2017-10-24T20:35:27Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > All of them long after he wrote Folsom Prison Blues. Okay, then we don’t have to preserve his jail either. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2017, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnny-cash-s-sister-returns-to-their-childhood-home-takes-visitors-on-bittersweet-tour/799679/13 "2017-10-25T13:39:18Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Johnny’s entire family played music. I heard that his daddy sang bass. ---
**Author:** ![Folacin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folacin/32/3195_2.png) [@Folacin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folacin)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2017, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnny-cash-s-sister-returns-to-their-childhood-home-takes-visitors-on-bittersweet-tour/799679/14 "2017-10-25T13:50:30Z")
> [@DrCube](#): > > I heard that his daddy sang bass. For some reason, whenever that song pops into my head I always think “mama sang bass, daddy sang tenor”. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2017, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnny-cash-s-sister-returns-to-their-childhood-home-takes-visitors-on-bittersweet-tour/799679/15 "2017-10-25T18:52:14Z")
I’ve been to Johnny and June’s grave. Across the street from a Lowe’s. My wife owns Johnny’s black Tag Heuer watch. I got to see his Hendersonville house before Barry Gibb bought it and burned it down.