This is Johnny Cash‘s last ever performance before he died. He played Understand your man at 71 at The Carter Ranch in the Hiltons.

This performance was in the July of 2003 and completely unannounced. Johnny Cash apparently just arrived to greet a crowd of about 700 country fans who were at the ranch for a weekly country music show.

Cash arrived in a wheelchair, and as there was no ramp was carried on to the stage.

At the time this was filmed Cash sadly had nerve damage that was getting progressively worse and laryngitis that caused a hoarseness in his voice that he apologized for.

Johnny Cash hadn’t played Understand Your Man live in over 25 years and performed it here just a couple of months before his wife, June Carter passed away.

Pigeons and Planes said of Johnny in his later years ‘It’s one of the things (along with Rick Rubin) that made Johnny’s popularity rise during his older age. This tough guy, rock star character got old, and with his age he got vulnerable. But instead of trying to cover it up, instead of even attempting to mask it, Johnny accepted it; he embraced it. In some ways, it was a sad thing to watch, but it was also incredibly human.’

Johnny died in September of 2003.

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