Legendary singer Johnny Cash would’ve been 80 years old yesterday. He and his wife June were close friends of Billy Graham and performed at a number of Crusades throughout the years.

In September of 2003 after Johnny’s passing, Billy Graham said this of his long-time friend:

Johnny Cash was not only a legend, but was a close personal friend. Johnny was a good man who also struggled with many challenges in his life. Johnny was a deeply religious man. He and June came to a number of our Crusades over a period of many years. Ruth and I took a number of personal vacations with them at their home in Jamaica and in other places. They both were like a brother and sister to Ruth and me. We loved them… I look forward to seeing Johnny and June in heaven one day.

In a 2006 Decision magazine article, Franklin Graham said this: “In his heart, Johnny Cash was an evangelist… Johnny Cash often sang at my father’s Crusades, bringing in countless people who otherwise might never have heard the Gospel. He was a great friend of our ministry.”

In honor of the “Man in Black,” here’s a video of a Johnny Cash-Billy Graham “duet” from a 1971 episode of The Johnny Cash Show.

Did You Know? Along with his wife, June Carter Cash, Johnny Cash produced a movie called “The Gospel Road” about the life of Jesus. The movie became one of the most popular films distributed by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.