In 2003, legendary musician Johnny Cash died from respiratory arrest after years of drug abuse.
While many pals believed the icon passed away at age 71 of a broken heart—following his longtime wife’s demise—REELZ’ own Dr. Michael Hunter is now investigating if years of heavy drug use and fast living were what led the legend to an early grave.
“He was taking up to 100 pills at a time, over a period of two or three days,” said Johnny Western, a friend of Cash, in the video teaser for REELZ’s new docuseries, Autopsy Johnny Cash.
As The National ENQUIRER has learned, Cash had begun making trips into Mexico to buy industrial quantities of pills on the black market.
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“He gets into a cab and drives across the border, meets his connection and buys the drugs,” recalled Johnny Cash biographer Steve Turner in the clip.”That’s when he hits the problem.”
At the time, narcotics officers found 688 amphetamine capsules inside Cash’ guitar case. The taxi driver who drove him to Mexico thought he was buying heroin — and gave him up to the U.S. border cops, who quickly threw him in jail!
“Autopsy: Johnny Cash” airs Sunday, June 24 at 9:00 ET/ PT on REELZ.
