There are family names in country music that don’t just open doors—they built the house. For John Carter Cash, the only son of Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash and grandson of Mother Maybelle Carter, that legacy isn’t just history—it’s the air he breathes. Surrounded by six half-sisters (Rosanne, Kathy, Cindy, Tara, Carlene, and Rosie), plus the family harmonies of the Carter clan, John Carter grew up where music was more than a calling—it was destiny.
Even as a child, his parents folded him into their art. Johnny Cash would tweak the ending of “A Boy Named Sue” to mention his son by name, and in 1972, Johnny and June recorded “I Got a Boy (And His Name is John).” A few years later, his face appeared on the sleeve of Look at Them Beans. It was clear from the start: John Carter was part of the story.
The Producer’s Ear
Like many of his siblings, John Carter followed his parents onto the stage and into the studio. But his role stretched beyond performance—he became a trusted producer. He was behind his mother’s Grammy-winning Wildwood Flower and worked alongside his father on the haunting American III: Solitary Man and American IV: The Man Comes Around.
His reach expanded far beyond the family circle. Cash has produced records for Sheryl Crow, Loretta Lynn, Willie Nelson, Elvis Costello, Kris Kristofferson, Emmylou Harris, Vince Gill, and more. At the Cash Cabin Studio in Hendersonville, TN—home of his production company, Cash Cabin Enterprises—he’s cultivated a creative hub where country tradition and modern artistry meet.
A New Chapter: Pineapple John
But John Carter isn’t content to only preserve the past—he’s busy creating his own. His whimsical new single, “Sleeping with the Mermaid,” released on Avondale Records and distributed by The Orchard, teases his forthcoming concept album Pineapple John (arriving October 10, 2025).
Co-written with Bill Miller, the track revels in playful escapism. With lines like “Hot beer, fishing off a short pier” and the singalong refrain “Last night she stayed and I woke up with a mermaid,” it’s a tongue-in-cheek, tropical fever dream. The video, filmed by Joseph Cash, winks at the audience with bottles and island antics, even as both co-writers have long left the hard-drinking days behind.
“Wow! Thanks to Joseph Cash for filming and Bill Miller for joining me on this one,” John Carter wrote on social media. “This one’s a trip, folks!”
Island Tales and Family Ties
Pineapple John stretches across 15 tracks, tracing the journey of a weary troubadour navigating redemption, reflection, and imagination. Produced by Cash and Trey Call, the album brings in heavy hitters: Marty Stuart adds his unmistakable guitar tone, Clare Bowen lends soaring vocals, and collaborators like Ana Cristina Cash (John’s wife), Caitlin Evanson, and Brandon Young deepen the harmonies. His daughter, A.B. Cash, joins him on “Beckoning Melody,” and nephew Thomas Gabriel carries the torch on “The Hole in the Bottom of the Sea.”
The set balances soulful originals like “Snow on the Sand” with rollicking folk-inspired numbers including “Shame and Scandal” and the already-released “Sleeping with the Mermaid.” Alongside co-writes with Jack Ezra Cash, Caleb Caudle, and others, the album even tips its hat to classics like Irving Burgie’s “Jamaica Farewell.”
Keeper of the Flame
For John Carter Cash, music is both inheritance and invention. As a producer, songwriter, and artist, he protects the legacy of the Carter and Cash names while carving out new ground of his own. From Grammy-winning traditional folk to a tongue-in-cheek mermaid ballad, he shows that the family gift isn’t just about honoring the past—it’s about keeping the story alive for the future.
And with Pineapple John just around the corner, that story is about to get a whole lot brighter—and stranger—in the best way possible.
