What Was Was Johnny Cash's Net Worth When He Passed Away?

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Johnny Cash was an American musician, singer/songwriter, actor, and author. He sold more than 90 million records worldwide making him one of the best-selling music artists ever. His style encompassed the sounds of country, rockabilly, blues, rock and roll, folk, and gospel. Cash's 'genre-spanning' music led to his inductions into the Country Music, Rock and Roll, and Gospel Music Halls of Fame - quite an uncommon accomplishment. Johnny Cash died at the age of 71 in 2003, and he would have been 88 today.

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Johnny Cash had thirteen Number One US country hits between 1956 and 1976, 'Ring of Fire', 'A Boy Named Sue' and 'I Walk the Line' are a few of the more known. He sold over 90 million albums during his nearly fifty-year career and he was one of the most influential and successful musicians in the history of music. He took part in one of the most seminal moments in rock and roll when he was part of a jam session recording at Sun Records with Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins.

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When he died in 2003, Cash was estimated to have a net worth of about $60 million, though some reports are closer to $100 million. He was known for giving the majority of the publishing rights from his hit song “Ring of Fire” to his son, John Carter Cash, who was June Carter and Johnny's only child and all but one of Cash’s daughters from his previous marriage took legal action to attain rights to the song. The rights are estimated to be worth millions.

Johnny and June Carter were married in 1968. A biopic of his life story was made in 2005 entitled 'Walk the Line' starring Joaquin Phoenix as Cash and Nashville’s Oscar-winner Reese Witherspoon as the loving woman who helped him chase away his personal demons. Cash's son, who stepped in as executive producer, gives credit to the film for re-igniting interest in his father's career and music. The casting and story were approved by Johnny and June before their deaths and the film was a major box office success.

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While there's some differences is the exact amount of his net worth at the time of his death, Johnny Cash built up a substantial legacy and he left behind a massive fortune and the Johnny Cash Estate continues to make money to this day. Cash did have some medical issue he was battling at the end, but most say that he died of a broken heart just months after his wife June of 35 years passed away.