Johnny Cash Hospitalized Again

Mon., Mar. 17, 2003 2:00 PM PST by Josh Grossberg

Whatever ails him, the Man in Black always seems to come around in the end.

Johnny Cash, who's been in and out of sick bay more than a half-dozen times over the last four years, was admitted to Nashville's Baptist Hospital early last week after coming down with yet another case of pneumonia.

But, according to hospital officials, the tough-as-nails 71-year-old music legend is walking the line toward a full recovery.

"He's in stable condition, and we're continuing to treat him for pneumonia," said hospital spokeswoman Melissa Cantrell.

No word exactly when Cash will be discharged, though his manager, Lou Robin, said the singer is likely to remain in the facility for another week or so until he gets his strength back.

Cash suffers from autonomic neuropathy, a disease that hits the nervous system and makes him extremely susceptible to pneumonia. In 1998, he nearly died after one particularly nasty spell.

Last August, Cash was hospitalized for an allergic reaction, and in November 2001, he checked in twice after coming down with bronchitis.

But all the maladies haven't kept Cash from working. Last November, he released American IV: The Man Comes Around, which in February earned him his 11th career Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance for "Give My Love to Rose." Another track off the album, a cover of Nine Inch Nails' "Hurt," is making the rounds on MTV.

Cash has more than 70 albums and 130 hits to his credit, selling north of 50 million copies during a career that has seen him become the only person to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Country Music Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Cash's camp hope the icon will be in good enough shape for he CMT Flameworthy Video Music Awards on April 7 in Nashville, where he's due to receive a lifetime achievement award.

And if that's not enough, Hollywood is planning the ultimate tribute, a biopic titled Walk the Line and starring Joaquin Phoenix as Cash and Reese Witherspoon as bandmate and eventual wife June Carter. That film, directed by James Mangold, will focus on Cash's early years in Memphis, including his struggle with drugs. The film is being developed in cooperation with Cash and will also include original music.