NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Roseanne Cash, the Grammy-winning country singer and eldest daughter of legendary singer-songwriter Johnny Cash, shared a heartfelt tribute to her mother Vivian Liberto who died on her birthday 18 years ago. Vivian, who was Johnny's first wife and the inspiration for his hit song 'I Walk the Line', died on May 24, 2005, which also happened to be Roseanne's birthday.
Roseanne posted a photo of her mother on Instagram along with a touching caption that read: "This is my mom, Vivian. Tomorrow is my birthday. My mom died on my birthday 18 years ago, and every year since I’ve always acknowledged my sadness about her passing to myself, privately, and tried not to let it color a celebration of my birthday because she would not in a million years have wanted to take my birthday away from me."
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'I miss her terribly'
The 'Hold On' singer continued, "But this year I just want to say out loud that I miss her terribly and I thank her for bringing me into the world after only four hours of labor. I was in a hurry to get things rolling. The 'September When It Comes' artist further wrote, "Tomorrow, I will enjoy the day, and let her be a part of my thoughts with gratitude and joy, but today she is with me in powerful longing, and I wish so much that she could see her great-grandchildren."
'My childhood was chaotic, number one'
In a 2019 interview, Roseanne opened up about her childhood and how her mother coped with her father's fame and addiction. "My childhood was chaotic, number one," she told People. "I understood from a really young age that [my dad] was an artist and that his mind worked differently. And … that scared my mother." She said her father wrote 'I Walk the Line' about her mother's constant fear that he would cheat on her. "She was terrified most of the time that he would go out for cigarettes and never come back," she said.
Roseanne even expressed that she never blamed June Carter for breaking up her parent's marriage and that she loved both her mother and June. "It seemed inevitable, though it was so painful for my mom," she said of the affair. "My dad told me that he didn't love anyone more than he loved June." She added that June was "incredibly kind" to her and helped her with her career. "She was one of the most hilarious people I ever met," she said.
Roseanne has always spoken fondly of her mother and defended her legacy. She praised the documentary 'My Darling Vivian' which premiered in 2020 for portraying her mother as "the real Vivian Liberto and not the Hollywood version". She also revealed that she learned about her mother's Black ancestry on the PBS show 'Finding Your Roots' in 2021. "I don't think my mother really knew," she said. "And my father was the type who would worry about his children privately but he wouldn't confront you. He had tremendous respect for a person no matter their age, and he had faith that you were going to sort your problems out."
Roseanne Cash is also celebrating her father's legacy
Roseanne Cash is one of the most acclaimed country artists of her generation with 11 No 1 singles and four Grammy awards. She has also written several books and essays and received numerous honors for her music and activism. In addition to honoring her mother, Roseanne Cash is also celebrating her father's legacy as a songwriter. A new book titled "Johnny Cash: The Life in Lyrics" will collect his lyrics for the first time, along with rare photos, handwritten notes, and stories from his family and friends. The book will be published by White Rabbit in the UK on November 23, as per The Guardian.
