I Walked the Line: My Life with Johnny

Vivian Cash

Sep 2007 · Sold by Simon and Schuster

About this ebook

I Walked the Line is a chronicle of first love, long-kept secrets, betrayal, forgiveness, and the truth--told at last by Johnny Cash's first wife, the mother of his four daughters.

It is a book that had the full support of Johnny Cash, who insisted it was time for their story to be told, despite any painful revelations that might come to light as a result.

Many myths and contradictions regarding the life of Johnny and his family have been perpetuated for decades in film and literature. Vivian exposes previously untold stories involving Johnny's drug addiction, his fraught family life, and their divorce in 1968, as well as the truth behind the writing of two of Johnny's most famous songs, "I Walk the Line" and "Ring of Fire."

Supplemented by a never-before-published archive of love letters and family photos, I Walked the Line offers a deeper look at one of the most significant artists in music history. Here, fans and readers can experience the extraordinary account of love and heartbreak between Johnny and Vivian, and come to understand Vivian's dignified silence over the years. Through this elegant, revealing, and powerful memoir, Vivian Cash's voice is finally heard.

Ratings and reviews

A very good book. Very insightful...telling a side of Johnny Cash's life that I have always been curious about. Many great men have had the help of their first wives when they started their journey in life only to have that side not mentioned nor credit given to those ladies. From his letters, it is evident that they had a great love that got lost in show business stress and temptations of life.

Awesome! Vivian was such a strong beautiful woman! ❤

Shows Cash as a little more douchy than I ever thought about him.

About the author

Vivian Cash was Johnny Cash's first wife and the mother of his four daughters. She met Johnny at the age of seventeen at a roller rink in San Antonio, Texas. They married three years later, after Johnny was discharged from the Air Force. Vivian accompanied Johnny throughout his early career in Memphis and Nashville. As Johnny's star soared, the family moved to California where the marriage dissolved after twelve years. After their divorce, Vivian married Dick Distin and lived in Ventura, California, where she was an active and beloved member of the community until she passed away in May 2005.