Rosanne Cash was born on May 24, 1956 in Memphis, TN, to her father, country singer, Johnny Cash and Vivian Liberto. After her parents separated in the early 60's, she was raised by her mom in Southern California. Following her graduation from high school, she joined her father's Road Show where she went from handling the tour's laundry duties to performing, first as a back-up singer then as an infrequent soloist. Even with this exposure to the music business, Rosanne was unsure that she wanted to make music her career, so she took some acting classes. She also worked as a secretary in London and travelled extensively abroad.

Cash was signed with Columbia Records, and began performing with Texas singer/songwriter, Rodney Crowell, who produced three of the songs off her debut album, Right or Wrong. The record yielded three Top 25 hits, including a duet with Bobby Bare, entitled "No Memories Hangin' Round." She and Crowell later married the same year; 1979. Her commercial breakthrough, Seven Year Ache, was released in 1981, and contained three Number One singles, and the title cut even crossed over to the Pop charts. Her follow-up release in 1982, Somewhere in the Stars failed to repeat Seven Year Ache's success, however did produce two more Top Ten singles, "Ain't No Money," and "I Wonder."

Following a three-year hiatus where she concentrated on raising her family, daughters Caitlin, born in 1980, Chelsea, born in 1982, and Rodney's daughter Hannah, she released Rhythm and Romance, produced by David Malloy. The album produced the Grammy-winning "I Don't Know Why You Don't Want Me" which also was a Number One, and a string of hit singles.

In 1987, she released Kings Record Shop, which was her last produced by Rodney. The album produced four successive Number One singles, which was an all-time record for a woman in country music. In 1990, she returned with Interiors, which was her first studio album in almost three and a half years, and marked her solo-production debut. The record received a Grammy nomination for Best Contempoary Folk Album.

In 1993 she released The Wheel. The album was her most musically diverse effort to date.

"Bodies of Water" Cash's first book (for adult readers) received widespread critical acclaim. In 2000, inspired by her daughter, Carrie, Rosanne released her first children's picture book, "Penelope Jane: A Fairy's Tale."

Rosanne is currently hard at work on a new CD for Capitol Records, tentatively scheduled for release in mid-2001.

Photo © Ron Newcomer
Used with permission.