Ryan Downing
10/8/08

“Fame was hard to handle. That's why I turned to pills.” These were words from music legend Johnny Cash. During the 1960s, Cash, who was a very successful entertainer at the time, battled with drug and alcohol addictions. He would take drugs when he woke up to “pick him up”, drink heavily during the day to cope with the stresses of life then take more drugs before bed to “help him sleep.”

Cash’s addiction was not uncommon among entertainers in his era. Many artists experimented during that time. And tragically, most of their stories do not end like Cash’s does. Drug and alcohol addictions destroyed many promising musician’s careers and ended some of their lives prematurely.

But Cash decided he would beat the addiction that destroyed his first marriage and threatened his career. He endured through many challenging times and overcame his habits. And unlike many of his contemporaries, he was able to enjoy many more decades of success.

He married June Carter and they spent 35 years together. He also began stockpiling awards. He is one of only four artists who have been inducted in the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, the Country Music Hall of Fame, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He also was given the Grammy Legend Award and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

By staying strong through a rough time in his life, Cash was able to emerge stronger and the second part of his life was far greater than the first.