| Vivian Liberto | |
| Born | April 23, 1934 San Antonio, Texas, USA |
|---|---|
| Died | May 24, 2005 (aged 71) Ventura, California, USA |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | Italian American |
| Known for | First wife of Johnny Cash Mother of Rosanne Cash |
Vivian Dorraine Liberto Cash Distin (April 23, 1934 – May 24, 2005) was an American homemaker who was the first wife of country singer-songwriter Johnny Cash, and the mother of singer-songwriter Rosanne Cash.
During their courtship, Cash and Liberto wrote each other over 10,000 pages of love letters, forming the basis of her autobiography, titled I Walked the Line: My Life with Johnny, which was published in 2007.[1]
Contents |
Early life
She was born in San Antonio, Texas,[2] the daughter of Thomas Liberto (February 4, 1905-October 11, 1971) and Irene Robinson (May 10, 1913-April 7, 1979). Her siblings were Raymond Liberto (September 15, 1932-May 23, 2008) and Sylvia Liberto (born December 22, 1936).
Her paternal grandparents were both born in Italy and immigrated to the U.S., while her maternal grandparents were born in Texas. Her father was an insurance salesman and amateur magician. He performed his magic act at private parties and charity events and was president of the local International Brotherhood of Magicians. Vivian and her mother often performed as his assistants onstage. Vivian's starring role in his show involved crawling inside a dollhouse as he stuck eight swords into the side of it and she screamed in pretend pain.
That was her first taste of show business life, but the Libertos were not a show business family. Vivian and her sister led very sheltered lives. Her parents were strict and she and her brother and sister were disciplined and ordered. She attended St. Mary's Catholic School for girls, in San Antonio, and wore the required uniform.
On July 18, 1951, during summer vacation, Vivian, age 17, went to a skating rink with a girlfriend. There she met 19-year-old Johnny Cash. Cash, who was undergoing Air Force training in San Antonio, liked her and they began a relationship. As a gesture of his feelings for her, he carved the words, "Johnny Loves Vivian," into a public bench. She said:
| “ | We would walk on the river, and we sat there and did what we shouldn't have done and carved our names in the bench | ” |
Three weeks after they met, the Air Force sent Cash to Germany. During his three year military tour overseas, the couple wrote each other daily, amassing over 10,000 pages of love letters. A lot of the letters he wrote to her were published in I Walked the Line, which was co-written by Ann Sharpsteen.
Marriage to Cash
Cash was discharged from the Air Force on July 3, 1954. Vivian was with his parents in Dyess, Arkansas, when he returned, and she went with them to the airport to get him. His brother, Roy, worked in Memphis, Tennessee, for Chrysler, and Cash bought a brand new car there. While she returned home to San Antonio, he went to Memphis, to find a place for them to live when they married.
On August 7, 1954, they were married at St. Anne's Catholic Church, in San Antonio, by her uncle, Father Vincent Liberto. In Memphis, Cash became a door-to-door home appliance salesman working on commission, which he hated, while studying to be a radio DJ. Most of his potential customers could not afford to buy a new refrigerator, washing machine, etc., and a lot of times when he sold something and the buyer's credit was rejected he had to repay the commission he received. The young couple scrimped and lived on Kraft Macaroni & Cheese; she made her own maternity clothes; and they borrowed money from her father and Cash's employer to get by. She wrote in her book:
| “ | We were rich in love, but dirt poor. We woke up every day never knowing where our next dollar would come from. We just struggled together, blissfully unconcerned about the future. | ” |
About that time, Roy introduced Cash to two mechanics who worked with him at Chrysler named Marshall Grant and Luther Perkins. As the three men loved country music and wanted to perform, they quickly became friends and formed a band together. They practiced in Grant's garage while their wives played cards in the kitchen. According to Vivian, who was always supportive and liked his career, they began to sound really good after a while and Cash's ambition to become a DJ faded. They both knew that pounding on doors attempting to sell appliances was not his life. He had to give music a try. Cash and the Tennessee Two, Grant and Perkins, was eventually signed to a recording contract with Sun Records, where he quickly achieved stardom and wealth.
The couple had four daughters, Rosanne (born May 24, 1955), Kathy (born April 16, 1956), Cindy (born July 29, 1958) and Tara (born August 24, 1961).
In 1958, at the urging of Cash's new West Coast manager, Stu Carnall, and the fact that Columbia Records, a major record label, offered Cash a $50,000 bonus to sign with their company, the Cashes left small Sun Records and Memphis, behind, and moved to Southern California, four weeks after the birth of their third daughter, Cindy. They bought a spacious home on Hayvenhurst Avenue in Encino, from Johnny Carson. Cash's parents also moved to California.
The move marked the start of what Vivian called "a dangerous current" running beneath their lives. Cash began drinking more and taking amphetamines. He was constantly on tour and when he was home his behavior was erratic.
Divorce
The Cashes had friends at Casitas Springs, California, near Lake Casitas, between Ventura and Ojai, and enjoyed spending time in the area. Cash wanted to live there. Two weeks after the birth of their last daughter, Tara, in the summer of 1961, they moved to a 12-acre (49,000 m2) ranch. Cash bought his parents a nearby trailer park to run.
Liberto soon found they had more privacy at their home in Encino than at Casitas Springs, as people hearing of Johnny Cash's place would come cruising up their driveway to get a look. She thought the move would put an end to his bad behavior, but that was not to be. It was not long afterward, in fact, that their relationship ended.
Cash was almost always on the road touring and when he was home he was doped up and drunk and his behavior had worsened. Vivian believed that if he had never gotten involved with drugs they would have had no problems. She decided to file for divorce to shock him into coming to his senses, but the decision backfired.
In August 1966, she filed for divorce in Ventura, on grounds of extreme cruelty. She charged that Cash had left their home at Casitas Springs June 2, on a business trip and never returned. She asked for alimony and support of their four children.[3][4] After signing the divorce papers, she said, she still had hope. After filing the papers, she called him on tour and asked if there was any chance for a reconciliation. Cash declined, replying simply, "No, it's too late."[5] The divorce was finalized in late 1967.
Later life
On January 11, 1968, Vivian and Ventura police officer Dick Distin were married in Las Vegas,[6] and she and her daughters moved with him to Ventura, where Vivian became an active member of the community.
Vivian Liberto Cash Distin died at age 71 at Community Memorial Hospital in Ventura,[7] of complications from surgery to remove lung cancer. Her death occurred the day of her oldest daughter Rosanne's 50th birthday. A memorial Mass was held on May 28, 2005, at Sacred Heart Church, Ventura. She is interred at Ivy Lawn Cemetery, Ventura.
Vivian was once mother-in-law to fellow country singers Marty Stuart and Rodney Crowell. Crowell was the husband to oldest daughter Rosanne while Stuart was the husband to third daughter Cindy.
Her memoir, I Walked the Line: My Life with Johnny, was released in September 2007.
Fictional portrayals
In the 2005 biopic about Johnny Cash, Walk the Line, Vivian was portrayed by Ginnifer Goodwin as nagging and hard riding. Kathy Cash, Vivian and Johnny Cash's second daughter, criticized the movie's portrayal as inaccurate and unfair to her mother. Kathy's half-brother, John Carter Cash, the only child of Johnny and June Carter, who was the executive producer of the biopic, responded:
| “ | I'm compassionately understanding. The point of the film is my parents' love affair.[8] | ” |
Books
- Vivian Cash; Ann Sharpsteen (September 4, 2007). I Walked the Line: My Life with Johnny. Scribner. p. 336 pp. ISBN 978-1-4165-3292-7.
References
- ^ "Vivian Distin -- first wife of Johnny Cash". San Francisco Chronicle. 2005-05-29. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/05/29/BAGV7D0HAS1.DTL. Retrieved on 2008-10-21.
- ^ Texas Birth Index, Name: Vivian Dorraine Liberto, Date of Birth: April 23, 1934, Gender: Female, Birth County: Bexar, Father's Name: Thomas Peter Liberto, Mother's Name: Irene Robinson.
- ^ Los Angeles Times, Aug. 18, 1966, "Southland --- Singer Johnny Cash," p. 2.
- ^ California Divorce Index, Name of Husband: John R. Cash, Yr. Birth: 1932, Name of Wife: Vivian D. Liberto, Yr. Birth: 1934, Yr. Marr.: 1954, Preliminary: Aug 1966 Type 1, County: Ventura, Case No. 056081, State File No. 608906.
- ^ "Johnny Cash's first wife tells of romance, heartbreak --- They walked the line". Ventura County Star. 2007-11-18. http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2007/nov/18/they-walked-the-line. Retrieved on 2008-10-21.
- ^ Nevada Marriage Index, Groom's Name: Richard L. Distin, Residence State: California, Bride's Name: Vivian Cash, Residence State: California, Marriage Date: Jan. 11, 1968, Marriage city: Las Vegas, Officiant type: Religious celebrant, Recorded date: Jan. 24, 1968, Recorded county: Clark.
- ^ Social Security Death Index, Vivian D. Distin, b. 23 Apr 1934, SSN: 451-48-4954, Issued: TX, d. 24 May 2005, Last Residence: 93003 (Ventura, Ventura Co., CA).
- ^ "Johnny Cash film angers daughter". BBC News. 2005-11-11. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4427314.stm. Retrieved on 2008-10-21.
External links
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
