Getting to die an old man is a luxury not all superstars are afforded, despite their access to virtually every other comfort and security. As glamorous as we often assume the lifestyles of the rich and famous to be, there is wear and tear that happens on the body of a performer, even the ones getting paid handsomely and boasting tremendous star power. In fact, those are often the entertainers most at risk.
Take, for example, two men from the South who cut their teeth around the same time and became dominant figures in their respective genres: Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash. One led rock ‘n’ roll, the other led country, and both became some of the most popular musicians of the time. Their careers were similar but not wholly the same, and Rodney Crowell would later argue that the biggest final difference between them was that Cash survived what Elvis didn’t.
Indeed, as Cash’s former son-in-law (Crowell was married to Rosanne Cash from 1979 to 1992), Crowell saw Cash wrestle the same demons that took down Elvis almost constantly.
Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley Were Fighting Similar Demons
The entertainment industry has always been notoriously hard on its performers. But in the 1950s and 60s, things were even more arduous, thanks to the addition of amphetamines. Performers of all kinds were given these pills to stay awake, work longer hours, and keep up their energy mid-show. Unsurprisingly, this had disastrous consequences on the people who took them, most of whom struggled with addiction for the rest of their lives, including Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley.
In a 2009 feature on Johnny Cash with Uncut, Rodney Crowell said of his ex-father-in-law, “He lived hard. He wore himself out. He struggled with a lot of demons. That was a part of John I was aware of.” The country singer said that it wasn’t that Cash was naturally predisposed to struggling with addiction. “It was more like he survived what Elvis didn’t survive. I talked to him about this.”
Crowell said he discussed the prevalence of amphetamine use in the music business with Cash many times. “At least when I came up, people were handing you a beer and a joint,” he said. “For those guys coming up in the 50s—the Everlys and all those guys—they handed them amphetamines. You’re in for a long bout with that. Amphetamines are rough. When you’re flying on it, it’s like you can conquer the world. But coming down off, it’s a really hard crash.”
The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll Lost His Battle at 42 Years Old
Plenty of rumors, some of them absurd, have cropped up since Elvis Presley’s death. The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll died in mid-August 1977 at only 42 years old. Although the official cause of death is still somewhat murky even to this day, scientists continue to argue over the autopsy findings. Some claim Presley died of a major heart attack. Others claim he had a toxic mix of drugs in his system. And at the very least, his body had already been ravaged by those drugs for decades.
Cash, three years Presley’s senior, died in 2003 at 71 years old. The Man in Black died from diabetes complications four months after his wife, June Carter Cash, died.
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