Stand by your clan: life on the road with music royalty

Ahead of her visit to Ballymaloe, June Carter Cash tells Ed Power what it was like to grow up in such an esteemed family.

THE best advice Johnny Cash gave his stepdaughter Carlene Carter was to be herself on stage. Stay true to who you are and audiences will know they are getting an authentic performance. All these decades later, it is a mantra she repeats every time she steps before a crowd.

“The first time I went on stage as an adult was touring with the Johnny Cash Show. I’d sang as a child. But my grown-up initiation was as part of that band. I learned how to sing in front of a lot of people and to hone my skills alongside some of the greatest performers of all time.