On July 5, 2003, Johnny Cash gave his final public live performance, a 30-minute set at the Carter Family Fold in Hiltons, Va.
Although visibly frail (he needed help walking from a wheelchair to a chair in front of the mic), the legend was in good spirits. Cash uttered his usual show-opening greeting — "Hello, I'm Johnny Cash" — in his familiar deep voice, and grinned as the audience clapped wildly. "I'm glad to see you folks," he continued. "Thanks for coming to see our show."
Cash, who strummed an acoustic during the set, was backed by bassist Bobby Starnes and a long-time collaborator, guitarist Jerry Hensley. He opened with "Folsom Prison Blues," "I Walk the Line" and a Kris Kristofferson cover, "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down." Although his vocal tone was shaky, the performance itself was steely, and Cash's guitar playing was typically resonant.