Tommy Cash's Final Interview Before He Died: 'My Brother Johnny and June had The Greatest Love Story'

Johnny Cash became famous for singing about murder, prison, and heartbreak. But the fabled Man in Black knew even more about love and passion, thanks to his bond with his wife, June Carter Cash.

RadarOnline.com can reveal Tommy Cash, a Nashville recording artist in his own right and younger brother of Johnny, who died Friday, Sept. 13, said in his last-ever interview: "Theirs was the greatest love story I ever witnessed ... They were each other's shoulder; they became 'one.'"

Even in their later years, they acted like newlyweds. Nashville newsman Bob Battle, a close friend and frequent guest at the couple's home on Old Hickory Lake in Hendersonville, Tenn., said: "After June finished eating (dinner), Johnny would bend down to take her plate, plant a kiss on her forehead, and say, 'I love you, my sweet.' He doted on her in every way."

Cash's heartfelt devotion to his wife was understandable: "He credited June with saving his life. In 1965, he was arrested for attempting to smuggle amphetamines across the Mexican border in his guitar case and was given a 30-day suspended sentence."

The following year, after he was in a severe car crash and suffered a near-fatal drug overdose, his first wife Vivian Liberto — with whom he had four daughters, including singer Rosanne Cash — divorced him.

John turned to June, his singing partner and secret love, who helped him clean up his act by 1967.

"June not only loved Johnny, but she had a lot to do with his getting straight", said Tommy.

"She helped him overcome his drug abuse. Their love was so strong, it made Johnny want to become the best man he could possibly be for her."

They wed in 1968, and he was outselling the Beatles by the end of the decade.

"June was an idol and savior to Johnny", said Battle. "Every night, he thanked the Lord for sending him June, and June for saving his life."

Their romance was hardly a fairytale at the start. Johnny first met June, born into the famous Carter Family country clan, at the Grand Ole Opry in 1956, when her marriage to country star Carl Smith dissolved. (Her daughter, Carlene Carter, became a recording star with Carl in the late '80s.)

They began recording and performing together and falling for each other in the early '60s, when June was married to second husband Rip Nix (their daughter Rosey died of carbon monoxide poisoning last Oct. 24, 2003), and Johnny was with first wife Vivian.

Their forbidden love produced Johnny's biggest hit, Ring of Fire, written by June and her songwriting partner Merle Kilgore, who said: "One morning in 1963, June said, 'I'm falling more and more in love with Johnny, and I don't know what to do about it.' She had a letter from a friend who was having an affair and wrote that love was like a burning ring of fire. That's how we started the song."

Tommy Cash added: "They fell in love when they began working together. Johnny was still married to Vivian at the time, and June was expressing her honest emotions in the song."

Five years later, after Cash and Carter's marriages had ended, Kilgore was best man at their 1968 wedding.

"As June entered the church", he recalled, "Johnny whispered to me, 'She still knocks me out!' Their love really stood the test of time."

After they married, the pair toured together whenever possible.

"They barely spent a day apart", Lou Robin, Johnny's manager for 34 years, recalled.

"They also loved visiting the farms they owned in Jamaica and Florida, where they loved going for long walks on the beach or curling up with a book. Just unwinding was its own reward to them."

Even in the '80s, when Johnny's career briefly flagged and he became hooked on painkillers, their love never diminished.

He again got straight with help from June, plus a stint at the Betty Ford Center.

"What June did for me", Johnny wrote in his 1997 autobiography, "was post signs along the way, lift me when I was weak, encourage me when I was discouraged, and love me when I was alone and felt unlovable. She is the greatest woman I have ever known."

Once Johnny found June, his success became secondary to their love.

Bob Battle said: "Johnny told me, 'We have all the material things in life that we need. When I get sleepy, June tucks me in bed. And when she retires early, I make it a point to follow shortly thereafter. Then we'll embrace and fall asleep.'"

The couple remained happily married and had a son together, singer John Carter Cash, until June died on May 15, 2003, at age 73 following complications from heart surgery.

Less than four months later, her husband died of respiratory failure stemming from complications from diabetes at age 71.

"He once told me, 'If by chance June should go to heaven first, I hope and pray that I can follow later in the day'", Battle said.

Tommy, in his final interview, added: "I've never witnessed any man in my life who loved a woman like my brother loved June."

Tommy died Friday evening, according to a statement from the Johnny Cash Museum.

"Tommy Cash was a loyal supporter of the Johnny Cash Museum and a very beloved member of our extended family as well as a highly respected member of the music industry", Miller added.

"This great man will be deeply missed by his friends and many loyal fans around the world. Please keep Tommy’s beloved wife, Marcy, and his family in your prayers."

Tommy’s biggest hit came in 1969 with a tribute to the assassinated John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, and Martin Luther King Jr., Six White Horses.

The next year brought two top 10 singles, One Song Away and Rise and Shine. He died at the age of 84.

Have a tip? Send it to us! Email RadarOnline.com at tips@radaronline.com.