Barry Gibb to Rebuild on Johnny Cash Property

Last Tuesday, Nashville lost a piece of its past that many consider a musical landmark when the home of Johnny and June Carter Cash burned down. Though the true cause of the fire has not been determined by officials, some investigators suspect the fire began after the wood in the home was treated with a flammable wood preservative. The house was engulfed in flames moments after the fire began and only the chimney remains.

The home had been purchased by Bee Gees frontman, Barry Gibb, in 2006. Gibb released a statement today saying that he and his wife plan to rebuild on the site of the former home. Initially, Gibb had purchased the home with the hopes of remodeling and preserving the home so that he and his wife could further pursue their songwriting endeavors.

"Linda and I have decided to build our own home on the higher ground surrounding the Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash home and the original foundations shall be kept in tact and preserved for the people of Hendersonville and the people of Nashville," Gibbs said in a statement released to the press.

Gibbs also stated that he believes the land on which the house stood is sacred and that all measures must be taken to insure it is properly protected.

Before the destruction of the house, the home was most recently seen in the Johnny Cash biopic, Walk the Line, starring Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon. The home sold to Gibbs in 2006 for a reported $2.3 million dollars. The sale itself was brokered by Cash's brother, Tommy Cash.

Hendersonville is located only 18 miles NE of Nashville.

Fire investigator Bob Galoppi told the Nashville News Examiner that he estimated the blaze began at 1:40 in the former dining room. By the time firefighters arrived on the scene five minutes later, the house was beyond saving. He has ruled the fire accidental and says that the men who were in the home were lucky to have gotten out alive.

"To the Cash Carter families we owe the highest respect and the deepest regret that our dream could not be realized. Now there is a new dream for us and a new beginning," Gibb stated.

SOURCE: Associated Press: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070417/ap_en_ce/johnny_cash_home_fire

SOURCE: Nashville News Examiner: http://tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070413/MICRO060101/304130013/1310/MTCN04