Johnny Cash

Johnny with June, his wife. (http://www.johnny-cash.nl/ (unknown))

"Ad Astra Per Aspera," is the Kansas state motto meaning "through hardships to the stars". These four short words contain a lot of meaning. Ad Astra Per Aspera means to push through bad times and to keep your head up, and Johnny Cash- singer, songwriter, guitarist, and my hero- embodied this saying. He has inspired people to keep going through rough times because he has surpassed many of his difficulties and made it through his hectic life. Through his hardships he remained a Christian, which is motivating for anyone to try and be the best he can be even through a difficult time and stay faithful. Johnny Cash is a hero because he overcame his addictions, maintained a relationship where they were constantly bettering themselves, and also maintained a relationship with God.

Johnny Cash performing. ( http://www.nextpittsburgh.com/events/walk-line-good-johnny-cash-day-celebration/ (unknown))

One of the things that Johnny has suffered through was a crazy tour with people screaming his name and little sleep. "Cash became dependent on narcotics to keep up the hectic pace. By the mid-1960s, Cash was a deeply addicted and it began to impact his career" (Miller). He had 300 shows per year which is insane. Narcotics took his mind off of the things going on around him and his addiction increased to the point where he was near death. The drugs took a toll on his career and he even had to get surgeries to repair the damage of the drugs. So to help him through this he met June.

Johnny later in life. (http://drquinn.wikia.com/wiki/Johnny_Cash (unknown))

Johnny is well-known for his relationship with June Carter. June Carter's family basically founded country music and was a very widely known and accomplished singer. "June Carter -- who was the wife of one of Cash's drinking buddies, Carl Smith -- would provide Cash with his return to the top of the charts with "Ring of Fire," which she co-wrote" (Stephen Thomas Erlewine). He happened to be going through a rough patch with his then-wife, Vivien Liberto, and things weren't working out with his crazy schedule so they got divorced. June also divorced her husband. Johnny and June got married in 1968. June helped him get clean of his addiction to narcotics and get back on his feet. His career revived and their love was an inspiration to many that love conquers all. She converted him to a fundamentalist Christian and their bond became stronger. She died in 2003 and Johnny felt he had nothing to live for but music. Through all of this pain he experienced with his beloved wife's death he recorded/covered Nine Inch Nail's song "Hurt," it is considered to be one of the saddest music videos of all time. Their love continues to be considered one of the greatest love stories of all time because they persevered.

Despite all of his troubles he kept faith in God. Even through his childhood he was raised by Southern Baptist Christians. He also consistently did communion with Rick Rubin- super producer and dear friend, "for the last few months of Cash's life, he and Rubin took Holy Communion together every day, even if they weren't physically in the same place" (Kamp). That's inspiring that someone who had dealt with all of this fame and everything was a Christian, because it's well-known that fame changes people. Through his hardships his bond only became stronger with God towards the end of his life, and the death of June. He remained empathetic to all different types of people. He even performed for inmates at prisons. His hardships only made him stronger and his unbreakable bond with Jesus reminds me to be grateful for what I have and trust God that all will be okay in the end.

Johnny Cash is an inspiration because he made it. He didn't fade into black. He may have struggled a lot through his life but those moments made him stronger. He became someone that people could look up to in the end. He persevered through his troubles and despite everything he made it. Johnny Cash is a hero because he overcame his addictions, maintained a relationship where they were constantly bettering themselves, and also maintained a relationship with God.