Born in Memphis 71 Years Ago Today, the Award-Winning Country Singer, Author, and Daughter of Country Music Royalty

The eldest daughter of outlaw country legend Johnny Cash and his first wife, Vivian Liberto, Rosanne Cash followed in her father’s musical footsteps. Born on this day (May 24) in 1955, the four-time Grammy winner went on to create her own musical legacy—blending country, folk, rock, blues, and Americana for a sound that is uniquely hers. Today, we’re taking a look at the life and career of Rosanne Cash as she celebrates her 71st birthday.

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Rosanne Cash Rejected Performing For As Long As She Could

Johnny Cash was in Memphis recording his first tracks for Sun Records when his eldest child was born. As his career gained traction, he moved the family to California.

Rosanne Cash’s parents divorced in 1966 following her father’s affair with June Carter. Johnny and June married in Kentucky two years later, while Rosanne and her three sisters grew up with their mother in rural Ventura County.

After graduating from St. Bonaventure High School in 1973, Cash joined her father on the road. Initially wanting nothing to do with the performance side of the industry, she worked as a wardrobe assistant at first.

“I didn’t think I could sing,” she told People magazine in 2019. “And I grew up thinking becoming famous was about the worst thing you could do. You went on the road, you started doing dr*gs and got divorced and didn’t see your kids and everything fell apart.”

Eventually, however, Rosanne began singing backup for her dad. She made her studio debut on Johnny Cash’s 1974 album The Junkie and the Juicehead Minus Me, singing lead on Kris Kristofferson’s “Broken Freedom Song”.

Two years later, the Man in Black recorded his daughter’s song “Love Has Lost Again” for his 1976 album One Piece at a Time.

After brief stints working for CBS Recording in London and studying English and drama at Nashville’s Vanderbilt University, Rosanne Cash moved back to Los Angeles to study method acting at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute.

In January 1978, she recorded a demo with producer Rodney Crowell, at the time a songwriter for Emmylou Harris. That led to both a full-length album and a romantic relationship, with the pair marrying in 1979. They divorced in 1992.

Finding Her Voice

In early 1980, Rosanne Cash released her sophomore LP, Right or Wrong, which spawned the Top 25 singles “No Memories Hangin’ Around”, “Couldn’t Do Nothing Right”, and “Take Me, Take Me”.

[RELATED: On This Day in 1985, Rosanne Cash Hit No. 1 With a Song She (And Her Then-Husband) Wrote About Her Grammy Loss]

Pregnant with her first child, the Hall of Fame songwriter couldn’t tour to promote her studio debut. That didn’t keep Right or Wrong from the charts, though, and Rosanne’s third album, Seven Year Ache, was a crossover success.

Featured image by Jason Kempin/Getty Images