Johnny Cash Archives Find New Home at Belmont University

Johnny Cash's personal archives have secured a permanent home at Belmont University, significantly enriching the institution's resources. The collection, a generous contribution from the late singer-songwriter's children, will form the core of the new Johnny Cash Learning Center. This facility is set to be housed within Belmont's Mike Curb College of Entertainment & Music Business's upcoming building on Music Row.

The acquisition, valued at $8.6 million, was realized through the support of key donors including Scott and Sandi Borchetta, Mike and Linda Curb, and the Harper House Music Foundation. Belmont University has initiated a comprehensive digitization process for the archives, which encompass correspondence, photographs, scrapbooks, handwritten lyrics, and cassette tapes.

Expected to open in the future, the Johnny Cash Learning Center will offer dedicated spaces for archival research, digital and physical exhibits, and educational programming integrated into Belmont's curriculum. A secure reading room will be available for researchers by appointment, while an online digital collection will provide public access to the archival materials.

Belmont University President Greg Jones expressed the institution's honor in becoming the permanent home for Cash's legacy, emphasizing how the archives will bring the stories of one of American music's greatest storytellers to life for students across all disciplines.