Johnny Cash’s California Home – The Man in Black Helped Design!

Johnny Cash often sang about the hills and flowers and wide-open spaces, and he lived it too. In 1961, Johnny built a 4,500-square-foot home in rural Casitas Springs, California as his quiet place to escape from the rock 'n roll lifestyle. A place he and his wife, Vivian, and their three daughters could enjoy family life in the hills for many years into the future. While their future did not pan out exactly as Johnny planned – he and Vivian divorced in 1966 – the home was exactly what John envisioned.

According to the listing agents, “Johnny bought the land and built the house to his exact specifications; walking the rooms and deciding on exact placement and layout. He created a secluded sanctuary, unique to this rural small-town enclave. Longtime locals recount stories of Johnny setting up speakers on the hillside outside the house, and playing concerts for the townspeople down below.”

The double-gabled house is set on nearly six acres, dramatically set among Johnny’s beloved hills, fields, trees and flowers, at the end of a long, private driveway. John’s ideas are still very much a part of the home, including the country-motif family room and curved brick fireplace, custom wood built-ins, and an original wall-mounted turntable. The wood-paneled studio where Johnny wrote some of his biggest hits is preserved. And the two his-and-her master bedroom suites because of Johnny’s night-owl routine of writing music late into the night and early morning.

The property includes five bedrooms, a pool, office, barbecue area, and sweeping views of the Ojai Valley, oak trees and evergreens and year-round flowers.

Johnny Cash’s former home is for sale at $1.795 million listed with Adam McKaig and Melissa Borders from Douglas Elliman.