Vivian Cash facts for kids

Vivian Distin (born Vivian Liberto, later Cash; April 23, 1934 – May 24, 2005) was an American homemaker and author. She was the first wife of famous singer Johnny Cash. She even inspired his first big song, "I Walk the Line". After her marriage, people sometimes spread wrong information about her family background.

About Vivian's Life

Vivian (left) with Johnny and their children in 1961.

Vivian Cash was born on April 23, 1934, in San Antonio, Texas. She had a brother named Raymond and a sister named Sylvia. Their mother, Irene, was a homemaker. Their father, Thomas, sold insurance and was also a magician!

Vivian's father's family came from Cefalù, Sicily. Her mother's family had roots in Germany, Ireland, and also African American heritage.

Meeting Johnny Cash

On July 18, 1951, Vivian met Johnny Cash at a roller skating rink. She was 17 years old. Johnny was in the Air Force at the time. They spent three weeks together before Johnny was sent to West Germany for three years.

While he was away, they wrote thousands of letters to each other. These letters later helped Vivian write her book, I Walked the Line.

Marriage and Family

Johnny came back from the Air Force in 1954. One month later, on August 7, 1954, Vivian and Johnny got married. Their wedding was at a Catholic church in San Antonio. Vivian's uncle, Father Vincent Liberto, was the priest who married them.

They had four daughters: Rosanne, Kathy, Cindy, and Tara. All their daughters were raised by Vivian after her divorce from Johnny.

Life in California

After they married, they first lived in Memphis, Tennessee. Johnny Cash quickly became a big country music star. He moved Vivian and their family to Hollywood. He wanted to work in movies and meet people in the entertainment world.

In 1961, the family moved to a house in Casitas Springs, California. Johnny was often away on tour. Vivian and her daughters felt quite alone there. Vivian even had to deal with snakes around their home! In 1966, Vivian and Johnny decided to get a divorce.

Personal Life

Vivian and Johnny Cash had four daughters. Their daughter Rosanne became a famous singer-songwriter. Their daughter Cindy is also a singer-songwriter and author. Vivian's grandson, Dustin Tittle, is a film producer.

After her marriage to Johnny Cash ended, Vivian married Dick Distin in 1968. He was a police officer in Ventura, California. They stayed married until Vivian passed away on May 24, 2005. She died from problems after lung cancer surgery.

Vivian's Book

In 2002, Vivian decided to write a book about her life with Johnny Cash. She worked with a writer named Ann Sharpsteen. Her book, called I Walked the Line: My Life With Johnny, was published in 2007.

The book shares parts of the many letters Vivian and Johnny wrote to each other. It also tells about their early romance, their marriage, and Johnny's rise to fame.

The Thunderbolt Incident

In 1965, a photo of Vivian and Johnny Cash was used in a racist newsletter called The Thunderbolt. This newsletter was published by a KKK leader. The photo was changed to make it look like Vivian was Black. The headline wrongly said, "Arrest Exposes Johnny Cash's Negro Wife."

Johnny Cash was very upset by this. He hired a lawyer and threatened to sue the KKK. The issue eventually died down.

Later, the KKK caused more trouble for Johnny Cash. This was because he spoke out for Native Americans. He also supported hippie artists like Bob Dylan. The KKK spread more hateful flyers. They even burned a cross on Johnny Cash's lawn.

Johnny Cash's manager worked hard to fix the false stories. He contacted newspapers to set the record straight. Vivian's family history was carefully checked. It showed that she was White. This helped Johnny Cash continue to perform in the Southern states.

Family History

In 2021, a show called Finding Your Roots explored Rosanne Cash's family tree. It confirmed that Vivian Liberto's family came from Cefalù, Sicily, for over 300 years. Vivian’s grandfather, Rosario Liberto, came to America in 1895. He started a successful chain of Italian grocery stores in San Antonio, Texas.

The show also found that one of Vivian's great-grandfathers, Lafayette Robinson, was of mixed race. His mother, Sarah A. Shields, was born into slavery but was freed by her white father. Sarah and her white husband, Andrew Robinson, were legally married during the Civil War.

Vivian herself always saw herself as a white Sicilian-American. She wrote in her book that she did not identify as Black or multiracial.

Vivian's Legacy

Rosanne Cash's album, Black Cadillac, is dedicated to Vivian Liberto, her father, and her stepmother, June Carter Cash. Two songs on the album, “Burn Down This Town“ and “I Was Watching You,” are about Vivian. The album was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2007.

Vivian Liberto has been shown in movies and TV shows. Actress Ginnifer Goodwin played her in the movie Walk the Line. Anna Grace Stewart played her in the CMT miniseries Sun Records.

A documentary film about Vivian's life, called My Darling Vivian, was released in 2020.