Known as one of the best-selling musicians of all time, Johnny Cash delighted millions of fans around the world with his inspiring music, and shocked many more with his untimely 2003 death.
As RadarOnline.com readers know, the singer was married to June Carter Cash for 35 years, and became widowed when she suddenly died in 2003.
“Looking at newspaper articles published at the time, I can see that there was some speculation that Johnny had died from a broken heart,” says Dr. Michael Hunter in a clip for REELZ’s new docuseries, Autopsy Johnny Cash.
“You can’t say Johnny without saying June. Johnny and June, Johnny and June. It was always the two of them,” adds Johnny Cash biographer Steve Turner.
“Johnny’s statement right after June died was prophetic. He said, ‘the pain of her being gone is more than I can stand,’” recalls Cash’s longtime friend, Johnny Western.
“And of course, four months later, he was gone with her.”
While Cash suffered from years of drug abuse and debilitating heart issues, Dr. Hunter claims it’s likely he truly did die of a broken heart.
“Although it sounds improbable, there is a condition called ‘broken heart syndrome,’ also caused stress-induced cardio myopathy. It’s commonly described as a physical pain in the heart or chest area resulting from a surge in stress hormones. This can be triggered by an emotionally stressful event such as the death of a loved one,” explains Hunter.
“Broken heart syndrome mimics symptoms of a heart attack, and even though Johnny had heart problems, there is no evidence that he suffered a heart attack when he died.”
What June’s death the real reason behind Johnny Cash’s early demise?
Autopsy Johnny Cash airs Sunday, June 24 at 9:00 ET/ PT on REELZ.
