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would become one of the biggest songs of his career. In the early 1960s, Cash toured with the Carter Family, where he met June Carter. He also began drinking more heavily and become addicted to amphetamines and barbiturates. In spite of a worsening drug problem, he continued to deliver hit songs and records. "Ring of Fire", written by June Carter and Merle Kilgore, was inspired by June's relationship with John, and spoke of the hell being in love with John was, since both were married at the time, and Cash's drug addiction had become out of control. Cash recorded the song, which because a number one hit, and one of the best known Johnny Cash songs of all time. Cash's drug abuse continued to worsen, leading to his divorce from Vivian in 1966. In 1967, John and June recorded the duet "Jackson", which won them a Grammy that year. In 1968, June, Maybelle, and Eck Carter moved into Cash's home for a month to help him detox, after which he quit using drugs and rediscovered Christianity. On February 22, 1968, John proposed to June on stage in London, Ontario, and they married a week later in Franklin, Kentucky.

While in the Air Force, Cash saw the movie "Inside the Walls of Folsom Prison", which inspired him to write "Folsom Prison Blues", which became one of his most famous songs. John performed on many occasions in prisons across the United States, with his most famous performances in Folsom Prison (1968) and San Quentin (1969), which spawned two successful live albums, "Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison" and "Johnny Cash at San Quentin".

A well-rounded performer, Cash starred in his own TV show, "The Johnny Cash Show", from 1969 to 1971. Many artists received their start on the show, including the Statler Brothers, Neil Young, and Kris Kristofferson. The 1970, Cash became widely known as the Man in Black, because he regularly wore black and in 1971, he wrote the song "Man In Black". His popularity lessened in the late 1970s and early 1980s, but Cash teamed up with Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, and Kris Kristofferson in the mid-1980s as The Highwaymen, and made two hit albums. It was also during this time that Cash began acting on television movies and shows, garnering good reviews for his work. As Cash's recording popularity fell in the late 1980s, he eventually parted ways with Columbia Records and only did a small amount of recording.

Cash's musical story took another turn in 1991 when he recorded the lead vocals on a cover of "Man In Black" for the punk band One Bad Pig. As the 90s progressed, Cash regained his popularity and reached an iconic status among people from all walks of life, even those not typically interested in country music. Rick Rubin offered Cash a recording contract with his company, American Recordings, which usually produced rap and hard rock music. He recorded the album "American Recordings" in 1994 in his living room with only his guitar as accompanyment. The success of that album resulted in four more "American" recordings, and a box set, "Unearthed" that was released after his dealth and inlcuded four CDs of unreleased material. Cash passed away on September 12, 2003, four months after June died.

During his life, Cash wrote over one thousand songs and received numerous awards. Many artists continue to pay tribute to Cash and his music and the 2005 release of the movie "Walk The Line" about Cash's life, one several Oscars. Johnny Cash produced countless hits over his career that have enduring popularity and relevance, that will continue to entertain far into the further. There is a depth and poignancy to much of Cash's work that hits home with people of all different personalities and experiences.

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