# Johnny Cash's House Just Burned Down **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 10, 2007, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnny-cashs-house-just-burned-down/399560 "2007-04-10T23:15:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2007, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnny-cashs-house-just-burned-down/399560/1 "2007-04-10T23:15:41Z")
[Nothing left, apparently.](http://www.newschannel5.com/global/story.asp?s=6350504) > [@](#): > > The house of the late country music legend Johnny Cash has burned to the ground. > > The fire started shortly before 2 p.m. Tuesday. The 13,000-square-foot home was sold in January 2006 to a corporation owned by Barry Gibb, vocalist for the Bee Gees. The house was sold for $2.3 million. Roseanne Cash said upon hearing the news, “Well, maybe nobody else was meant to live there.” A shame to lose such a piece of history. ---
**Author:** ![pesch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pesch/32/4925_2.png) [@pesch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pesch)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2007, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnny-cashs-house-just-burned-down/399560/2 "2007-04-11T01:01:01Z")
It’s unfortunate, but for heritage, I’d rather have his music. Cash’s house was never part of his history, unlike Graceland. ---
**Author:** ![thirdname](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@thirdname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdname)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2007, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnny-cashs-house-just-burned-down/399560/3 "2007-04-11T03:50:50Z")
_His house went down in a burnin’ ring of fire it went down, down, down, and the flames went higher and it burns, burns, burns, the ring of fire, the ring of fire._ ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2007, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnny-cashs-house-just-burned-down/399560/4 "2007-04-11T13:46:49Z")
Apparently the house had recently been purchased by Barry Gibb and was being refurbished. It had just been coated with a (flammable) wood preservative, so it went up really, really fast. All that’s left are the stone chimneys. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2007, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnny-cashs-house-just-burned-down/399560/5 "2007-04-11T14:31:54Z")
[QUOTE=pesch] It’s unfortunate, but for heritage, I’d rather have his music. Cash’s house was never part of his history, unlike Graceland. [/QUOTE] This was “front page” (well, prominent on the website) news in today’s _Sydney Morning Herald_. As an inveterate Cash fan, I’d take issue with the idea that the house was “never part of his history”. The bloke lived there for donkey’s years, composed in it, jammed in it, recorded in it, shot the video for the song “Hurt” about his recently deceased wife in it… The link has expired from the website now, but I recall it saying that many, many famous musicians went there, jammed there, etc. Dylan hung out there, a young Kristofferson landed a chopper on the front lawn because he wanted to “pitch a song to Cash”. It was lower key than Graceland, but in many ways no less important. Don’t get me wrong, I’m an Elvis fan, but Cash was The Man. ---
**Author:** ![ASAKMOTSD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/919ad9/32.png) [@ASAKMOTSD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASAKMOTSD)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2007, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnny-cashs-house-just-burned-down/399560/6 "2007-04-11T22:01:37Z")
In response to this news, Johnny was reportedly quoted as saying “”. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2007, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnny-cashs-house-just-burned-down/399560/7 "2007-04-11T22:14:08Z")
[QUOTE=TheLoadedDog] This was “front page” (well, prominent on the website) news in today’s _Sydney Morning Herald_. As an inveterate Cash fan, I’d take issue with the idea that the house was “never part of his history”. The bloke lived there for donkey’s years, composed in it, jammed in it, recorded in it, shot the video for the song “Hurt” about his recently deceased wife in it… The link has expired from the website now, but I recall it saying that many, many famous musicians went there, jammed there, etc. Dylan hung out there, a young Kristofferson landed a chopper on the front lawn because he wanted to “pitch a song to Cash”. It was lower key than Graceland, but in many ways no less important. Don’t get me wrong, I’m an Elvis fan, but Cash was The Man. [/QUOTE] Roy Orbison lived next door to Cash, and it was because of Cash that so many country artists settled in the area. A number of them lived on the same street as Johnny. He also remained a “regular guy” despite of all his fame and was well thought of in town, not merely because he was a star, but because he was a gentleman. ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2007, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnny-cashs-house-just-burned-down/399560/8 "2007-04-11T22:40:44Z")
The story behind the house and how he got it is pretty good too. He talks about it in “Man In Black” ---
**Author:** ![cosmosdan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@cosmosdan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cosmosdan)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2007, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnny-cashs-house-just-burned-down/399560/9 "2007-04-11T22:41:06Z")
[QUOTE=TheLoadedDog] This was “front page” (well, prominent on the website) news in today’s _Sydney Morning Herald_. As an inveterate Cash fan, I’d take issue with the idea that the house was “never part of his history”. The bloke lived there for donkey’s years, composed in it, jammed in it, recorded in it, shot the video for the song “Hurt” about his recently deceased wife in it… The link has expired from the website now, but I recall it saying that many, many famous musicians went there, jammed there, etc. Dylan hung out there, a young Kristofferson landed a chopper on the front lawn because he wanted to “pitch a song to Cash”. It was lower key than Graceland, but in many ways no less important. Don’t get me wrong, I’m an Elvis fan, but Cash was The Man. [/QUOTE] Hmmm as a Cash fan you should know that he did not record Hurt about June. The song was released before she died. The video was shot there because Johnny’s health issues made it unwise to shoot in LA. Still, it turned out to be a great video. ---
**Author:** ![cosmosdan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@cosmosdan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cosmosdan)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2007, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnny-cashs-house-just-burned-down/399560/10 "2007-04-11T22:44:27Z")
[QUOTE=Tuckerfan] Roy Orbison lived next door to Cash, and it was because of Cash that so many country artists settled in the area. A number of them lived on the same street as Johnny. He also remained a “regular guy” despite of all his fame and was well thought of in town, not merely because he was a star, but because he was a gentleman. [/QUOTE] There was a fire at the Orbison home in 68 in which two of his young sons died. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2007, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnny-cashs-house-just-burned-down/399560/11 "2007-04-11T23:51:17Z")
Barry Gibb talked about buying the house during his most recent fan chats. (Yes, I’m a fan. Sue me.) He was quite excited, almost giddy about moving into it in July. He’s currently working on a country album and thought the setting would be a perfect place to write. He was doing his best to restore the house to its glory days and respect its past. And now all the plans are up in smoke. Cash’s daughter, Roseanne, commented that maybe the house didn’t want anybody else living in it. ☹ It’s still an absolutely beautiful setting with Old Hickory Lake and the beautiful trees. Not worth $2.3m without the house, but that’s what insurance is for, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2007, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnny-cashs-house-just-burned-down/399560/12 "2007-04-12T00:10:31Z")
[QUOTE=PunditLisa] It’s still an absolutely beautiful setting with Old Hickory Lake and the beautiful trees. Not worth $2.3m without the house, but that’s what insurance is for, I guess. [/QUOTE] Actually, it _is_ worth that much without the house. My dad lives not too far from there and people are buying up lakefront property with dinky little houses, flattening them and putting up McMansions and people are paying that much for houses_without_ lake front property in the same area. Barry Gibb got a _deal_.