John Carter Cash Reflects On His Father’s Deep Faith In New Documentary

“He wasn’t afraid to tell people, ‘I’ve fallen short,’ or ‘This is who I am, and these are the struggles that I’ve had.’ He was willing to admit to his shortcomings."

As the new documentary Johnny Cash: The Redemption of an American Icon hits theaters, Cash’s son is sharing new memories of his father.

John Carter Cash, the only son of Johnny Cash and June Carter, teamed up with his aunt Joanne Cash for the new film that looks at the spiritual side of the Man in Black. The film features never-before-heard conversations with Cash himself reflecting on his journey and his battles with some personal demons that lead him down a road to redemption and an "unshakeable faith". The conversations were originally recorded while Cash was working on his autobiography, but were never shared with the public until now.

"When you look at the idea of redemption, if you were to look that up in the dictionary, it would say Johnny Cash," the documentary’s executive producer Andy Irwin told Fox News Digital. "I think this is one of those stories that everybody loves. Johnny Cash is a household name, but I don't think people know the depth of his roots and faith and the rest of his story."

Cash's own son is included in those fans still learning about the country legend. “I’m always learning more about my dad on a regular basis," Carter Cash told Fox News Digital. "I look at his writings and I feel like he’s still speaking to me… He was a Biblical scholar. There are hundreds of pages I have of his Biblical studies and those things are so important to me. They really are."

The devoted son also said of his father,  "When he had the live television show, he would sing songs of spirituality…. [He was] a man of faith… Yes, he fell short, but he got back up again. This is the documentary he would want to be made about his life because this puts faith first… He wasn’t afraid to tell people, ‘I’ve fallen short,’ or ‘This is who I am, and these are the struggles that I’ve had.’ He was willing to admit to his shortcomings. And I think that’s a good example to live by."

Carter Cash also speaks about the close bond he shared with his father, in good times and bad, saying he was his best friend. “We laughed together,” Carter Cash said. “We traveled together. He was supportive of me. He was lenient on me, maybe a little too much. I think he could have been a little bit tougher. I think I needed it sometimes. But my father never held a record of wrong. And we forgave each other and we healed. And together, we went through the struggles that we had to heal [from]."

The documentary explores the country music legend's personal relationship with God and features folks like Marty Stuart, Wynonna Judd, and Tim McGraw, as they share their thoughts on Cash.

Johnny Cash: The Redemption of an American Icon is playing exclusively in theaters December 5-7.

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