The Ballad of Johnny & June: John Carter Cash on the musical about his famous parents

In presenting the story of Johnny Cash and June Carter, their son doesn't shirk the difficult times his parents endured 

Christopher Ryan Grant (Johnny Cash) and Christina Bianco in The Ballad of Johnny & June, at the Bord Gáis Theatre in Dublin. Picture: Pamela Raith

John Carter Cash has an old soul. Sitting in the bar of the Bord Gáis Theatre in Dublin, where he is doing press for the upcoming musical Ballad of Johnny and June - based on the lives of his iconic parents, Johnny Cash and June Carter - his eyes tell a story older than his 55 years. There is no doubt he inherited their deep gaze from Johnny, the legendary Man in Black, and from June, a multi-Grammy winner, who first found stardom in the 1930s with her family band, the Carter Family.

Carter Cash is a producer, artist, and musician, but perhaps his most meaningful role is custodian of his parents’ legacy. As their only son, both Johnny and June had other children from previous marriages; he carries this responsibility with pride, eager to honour their memory.