The Ballad of the House of Cash

In the film Walk the Line, Johnny Cash’s house saves him before even June Carter can. Hitting rock bottom after years of pills, booze and career suicide, Johnny passes out in the woods near a Tennessee lake. He wakes up facing a majestic log cabin-style house. A true moment of clarity: Johnny knows he is finally Home, and he buys the house on the spot. Then June joins him for good, he kicks drugs, makes amends with his old man, plays Folsom Prison. The credits roll.

The Hendersonville house, 20 minutes north of Nashville, was where Johnny raised his family and acted as musical patriarch as well. Legends passing through Music City, USA would drop by for dinner, play music, exchange ideas and enjoy some genuine God-fearing Southern hospitality.

At the time of Johnny’s death in 2003, there was a story in Rolling Stone or somewhere of a 1969 dinner party at the House of Cash. Guests included Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Kris Kristofferson, Joni Mitchell and her man at the time, Graham Nash. June cooked up a hearty meal, maybe some short ribs or a big crock of chili, and there was plenty of wine. After dinner they retired to the living room and passed the guitar around. Neil played “After the Gold Rush” or one of his other new songs, Dylan debuted “Lay Lady Lay,” Joni played “Big Yellow Taxi” and Graham sang his new song “Our House.” I’m sure Johnny sang a few, too.

The house’s final public appearance was also Johnny and June’s: the video for his cover of Trent Reznor’s “Hurt.” To call it a mere video is almost an insult. It’s a haunting celebration of life, love and family — and a damnation of death and the passing of time. The house is filled with memorabilia of an epic life: guitars, goblets, awards, photos, pianos, handcrafted furniture. All the while we see flashes of young Johnny playing prisons and hopping trains. At the end, Johnny closes the piano, and a whole lot more.

In 2006, the house was sold by Cash’s heirs to, of all people, Barry Gibb. A fine singer/songwriter in his own right, the Bee Gee in the White Tux couldn’t be further in musical sensibility from the Man in Black. It’s a long way from San Quentin to “Massachusetts.”

Barry admirably pledged to preserve the house’s integrity. He planned to use it as a summer home while away from his main Miami residence. Apparently, the house had other ideas. This week, as workers finished renovations, fumes from a wood preservative caught fire and the house burned to the ground. There you go.