Johnny Cash: The Last Great American

An exploration of the life of country music legend Johnny Cash, who passed away in 2003 after completing Unearthed, a five-disc box set featuring acoustic performances that relaunched his career and won him legions of young fans in the final decade of his life.

The son of a poor farmer from Arkansas, Cash’s early economic and personal struggles inspired many of his songs. He achieved his first major breakthrough when he was signed to Sun Records in the 1950s. By the 1960s, he had become a country music star with several hit songs. He also became known for his activism in support of prisoners’ rights, the Native American movement, and opposition to the Vietnam War, while also performing concerts for soldiers on the front line. After a difficult period in the 1980s, Cash revived his career with younger audiences by collaborating with producer Rick Rubin.

This documentary features contributions from his son John Carter Cash and daughter Rosanne Cash, his manager Lou Robin, and other fellow musicians.