Behind the calm, gravelly voice and solemn demeanor of Johnny Cash — the ultimate icon of classic country — was a surprising musical secret: he loved heavy metal.


A rare confession from 1988

In a 1988 interview with Spin Magazine, Cash shocked many fans when he admitted he regularly listened to bands like Metallica, Iron Maiden, and Twisted Sister. “It’s heavy, but it feels good — like something’s shaking inside my liver,” he laughed.

Cash explained: “I don’t care what label you put on music. If it’s real and it has soul, I’ll listen to it.” That quote perfectly captures who he was: a man of principle, never afraid to step outside accepted norms, whether singing to prison inmates or speaking up for the underdog.


A boundary-breaking spirit

Johnny Cash’s interest in metal didn’t make him any less country — it made him more human, more dimensional. He collaborated with artists from all genres, from Bob Dylan to Rick Rubin — the same producer behind Slayer and System of a Down.

His final albums, especially the American Recordings series, revealed just how far his musical curiosity stretched. He even covered songs by Nine Inch Nails, Depeche Mode, and Soundgarden — artists far removed from Nashville, but close to his soul.


The rebel in black

While the world may remember Johnny Cash for “Ring of Fire” or “I Walk the Line,” those who knew him understood: he wasn’t just the Man in Black — he was the man with a restless, open heart.