They married in 1968
Though they remained circumspect throughout their lives about precisely when and how they got together, Cash proposed to Carter onstage at the London Ice House in front of a crowd of 7,000 in February 1968. They married just a few weeks later.
Together the two continued in fruitful musical careers for many years, sharing grammy awards in 1967 and 1970 in addition to their individual awards (2 solo Grammys for Carter and 11 for Cash, including a lifetime achievement award.) They also helmed The Johnny Cash Show, a TV variety show featuring musical guests like Bob Dylan and Kris Kristofferson between 1969-1971.
Their only child together, John Carter Cash, was born in 1970. He would go on to become a musician and music producer in his own right.
The couple remained together for the rest of their lives, passing away a scant four months apart: Carter in May 2003, Cash that September. Throughout that time they remained an iconic music love story.
“You still fascinate and inspire me. You influence me for the better. You’re the object of my desire, the #1 Earthly reason for my existence,” Cash wrote to his wife on her 65th birthday. “We got old and got used to each other. We think alike. We read each others minds. We know what the other wants without asking. Sometimes we irritate each other a little bit. Maybe sometimes we take each other for granted. But once in a while, like today, I meditate on it and realize how lucky I am to share my life with the greatest woman I ever met.”