An haifi Johnny Cash a ranar 26 ga Fabrairu, 1932, a Kingsland, Arkansas, zuwa Carrie Cloveree (née Rivers) da Ray Cash. Shi ne na huɗu na 'ya'ya bakwai, waɗanda suke cikin tsari na haihuwa: Roy, Margaret Louise, Jack, J. R., Reba, Joanne, da Tommy (wanda kuma ya zama dan wasan kwaikwayo na kasa). Ya kasance na asali na Turanci da na Scottish. A matsayin mai girma ya gano sunansa zuwa karni na 11 na Fife, bayan ganawa da tsohon Laird na Falkland, Major Michael Crichton-Stuart. Cash Loch da sauran wurare a Fife suna da sunan iyalinsa. A lokacin haihuwa, an kira Cash J. R. Cash. Lokacin da ya shiga cikin Rundunar Sojan Sama ta Amurka, ba a yarda ya yi amfani da shi a matsayin sunan farko ba, don haka ya canza shi zuwa John R. A shekara ta 1955, lokacin da yake tare da Sun Dying, Jack, J. R., Reba, Joanne, da Tommy (wanda ya zama dan wasan kwaikwayo na kasa mai nasara).
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