Johnny Cash's former home goes up for sale at $1.8M

2022-06-27

The house where Johnny Cash’s music magic was made! Singer’s former California home goes up for sale for $1.8M – and comes complete with dozens of his signature interior touches, including a recording studio and wall-mounted turntable

The California property was built in 1961 and is said to have been designed around the singer’s love for music and includes its very own recording studio
Cash designed the home with his first love Vivian Liberto as an escape from his demanding lifestyle
The five-bedroom home comes complete with a recording studio, swimming pool, barbeque area, custom wood built ins and a wall-mounted turntable
The property sale comes 19 years after Cash died in 2003 from complications of diabetes

A California home that used to belong to legendary country singer Johnny Cash has gone up for sale – and it comes complete with an array of unique interior touches designed by the singer himself, including its own recording studio and an original wall-mounted turntable.

Cash, who passed away in 2003 at the age of 71, shared the property with his first wife, Vivian Liberto, prior to his love affair and later eventual marriage to June Carter. Now, the home is up for grabs at just under $1.8 million.

Every element of the house has been designed around Johnny’s love of music, including a wood-paneled recording studio, as well as wall-mounted turn tables and a country motif living room.

The artist reportedly built the 4,500 sq. ft. home in Casitas Springs, California, back in 1961 as an escape from his demanding lifestyle.

Johnny Cash’s California 1961 home has hit the market for just under $1.8 million and it comes complete with many of the singer’s original touches, meaning it is the perfect home for any country music fan

The legendary singer first rose to stardom in 1956 when his song I Walk the Line became a number one hit and landed him a spot in the Grammy song hall of fame

Cash designed the home as an escape from his demanding lifestyle with his first love and then wife Vivian Liberto

Every element of the house includes a touch of Cash with wood panels and country motifs, keeping in mind the singer’s Tennessee roots

The home is located in Casitas Springs, California and is a total of 4,500 square feet and includes a mix of rustic and modern decorations

Cash recorded dozens of hit records during his lengthy career, which spanned over four decades, including hits such as Ring of Fire, I Walk The Line, A Boy Named Sue and Folsom Prison Blues.

The singer scored his first number one hit in 1956 with the song I Walk The Line which he wrote for his first love Vivian. The song earned Cash a spot in the Grammy Song Hall of Fame and has since become linked to Cash’s legacy.

Cash and Vivian envisioned the rural estate, located in the hills between Ventura and Ojai, as a peaceful homestead for their family including their three daughters – spending six years here together.

The singer didn’t just sing about the hills, flowers and wide open space, he lived it too.

Rumor has it Johnny bought the land and built the house to his exact specifications; walking the rooms and deciding on every detail.

And while his marriage to Vivian didn’t go as planned – the couple divorced in 1966 – the home seemed to capture exactly what Cash wanted.

In the book Johnny Cash: The redemption of an American Icon, the star who grew up is described as an drug-popping and alcohol addict with little regard to those around him, which ultimately led to his relationship with Vivian ending.

‘Cash had two personas – the down to earth, doting family man at home and the defiant outlaw on the road – hard-driving, pill-popping – a full-tilt party-time outlaw’, writes Greg Laurie with Marshall Terrill in, Johnny Cash: The Redemption of an American Icon, published by Salem Books.

In the public eye Cash presented himself as a family man, but when he was on the road he was popping over 100 pills a day and engaging in affairs with multiple women, all while married to Vivian.

When Cash became addicted to the high he attempted to keep his affairs a secret from Vivian, however, she soon found out as any efforts to be discrete failed.

Because of her Christian faith, Vivian refused to divorce Cash and promised to stick with him despite their struggles, however Cash denied her calls and even went a whole year without seeing his children which ultimately led Vivian to file for divorce.

Despite his struggles with addiction and his divorce, Cash stayed in the home and filled Vivian’s void with many other women.

According to the listing agents of Douglas Elliman, ‘Johnny bought the land and built the house to his exact specifications, walking the rooms and deciding on exact placement and layout. He created a secluded sanctuary, unique to this rural small-town enclave. Longtime locals recount stories of Johnny setting up speakers on the hillside outside the house and playing concerts for the townspeople down below.’

The home has been visited by many tourists since the death of the singer but has remained the same as when Vivian and Cash first designed it

While designing the home Cash made sure to add in the country lodge look that he favored with dark wooden cabinets in the kitchen

The couple often slept in separate bedrooms due to the singer’s late night hours spent working on his music, Vivian chose soft pastel touches in her bedroom

The California home is surely Cash’s and includes pictures of the legendary singer as well as an original wooden wall mounted turntable

Inside the five bedroom home, most rooms remain original to Johnny and Vivian’s vision, with painted ceilings featuring a touch of glitter, an original wall-mounted turntable and intercom system, and curved brick fireplace in the family room.

Despite a modern uplift in the his and hers suites, the property is undeniably Cash’s with custom wood built-ins, exposed brick walls, natural wooden beams and a country motif living room.

The wood-paneled office is something of a perfect man cave for any country and western fan.

The bathroom is more subtle than the rest of the country styled home with beige cabinets that appeal to a more modern look

Outside, the home has its own swimming pool, barbeque area, and picture perfect views of the famous Hollywood hills

While the kitchen appliances have been replaced and modernized since the home was built, the rest of the home looks practically identical as to when it was built in 1961

The artists often spent countless hours in the home, specifically in his wood-paneled recording studio where he created many of his hit songs – and his office (pictured) where he wrote many of his chart-toppers

The kitchen also features dark wooden cabinets, in keeping with the country lodge look Cash favored.

The double-gabled house is set on nearly six private acres, nestled against a stunning natural backdrop, with a long drive perfect for a Cadillac to roll up.

Due to the artist’s habit of staying up all night writing music, the pair had separate bedrooms, showcasing their personalities – with Johnny opting for period wallpaper and a dark-tiled shower, and Vivian choosing softer pastel shades in her bedroom.

Even Johnny’s famous black commode remains intact.

The pièce de résistance is the famous wood-paneled recording studio, where the artist spent countless hours creating his music.

The grounds are equally mesmerizing with live oaks, verdant gardens, a sparkling swimming pool, and corrals and fields ready for horses, pigs, goats, chickens or other rural uses.

As soon as guests enter the home they are welcomed with white walls, wood panels and photos of the legendary singer – sure to leave them feeling as if they have went back in time

The private area was the perfect place to Cash to create his music while enjoying the natural surroundings

For his bedroom, Cash chose a more subtle look than Vivian, with touches of beige and wood furniture

Many locals recall stories of Johnny setting up speakers on the hillside outside the house and playing concerts for the townspeople down below

19 years after his death, the home has finally hit the market and is sure to wow even the most modern guests with its beautiful wood finishes

A picturesque hillside BBQ area remains where Johnny taught his daughters to shoot; spent shells occasionally turn up as modern remnants of their long-ago target practice.

Other secluded areas of the property provide cloistered settings to entertain and enjoy the pristine natural surroundings.

Many locals recall stories of Johnny setting up speakers on the hillside outside the house and playing concerts for the townspeople down below.

After Vivian and Cash divorced, the artist remained in the home and remarried June Carter in 1968. June and Cash lived a picture perfect life in the home until the singer’s health began to decline.

His drug filled life came to an end when we went to addiction therapy in 1983 and was forced to clean toilets, vacuum floors and make beds.

After this, Cash turned to a life of faith and said: ‘I’ve lived my life for the devil up until now and from here on I’m going to live it for the Lord.’

After Cash and Vivian divorced in 1966 Cash remarried June (left) just two years later and lived in the home with his new wife. The singer (seen right in 2002) saw his health begin to deteriorate in 1998 and he passed away in 2003

The backyard barbeque area was Cash’s favorite place to relax and entertain guests and he even taught his daughters how to shoot here

June unexpectedly died in 2003 from a surgery complication and less than four months later Cash also passed away, and while the official cause is listed as complications from diabetes many believe it was from a broken heart

Cash struggled with health problems throughout the majority of his life – which included diabetes and the toll of drugs and alcohol which Cash had subjected his body to for most of his life.

The singer’s health began to deteriorate in 1998 when he was struck with pneumonia.

June sat by Cash’s side and nursed him back to health and until she suddenly died from a surgery complication in 2003.

Less than four months after June died, Cash passed away at the age of 71.

While doctors said Cash died from diabetes complications, many believed he died from a broken heart, as the death of June was too much to bear.

19 years after the singer’s death his home has gone up for sale for just under $1.8 million.

The property is listed with Douglas Elliman Realty.

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