THV Extra: In-depth look at Johnny Cash boyhood home

DYESS, Ark. (KTHV) - "The Man in Black," "Ring of Fire," and "Walk the Line." ....All of these familiar phrases are linked to the legend of Johnny Cash.

But something else links the country star to the Natural State. Cash grew up in Dyess, Arkansas and an effort to restore his childhood home nears completion.

THV11's Dustin Wilson, along with photojournalist John Young, took us to the back roads of Dyess to show us his roots.

The top hand mounted his trusty steed And rode across the plain. He said, "I'll ride until setting sun Unless I lose my rein."

Although not as clear as they once were, the poetic words of Johnny Cash won't fade from the mind of his childhood friend, A.J. Henson.

"We thought we'd died and gone to heaven," said a reminiscent Henson.

Hope came out of the gumbo soil of the town of Dyess. The childhood home of Johnny Cash still protrudes from the unsettled ground.

Henson recalled, "We would have to get under the house and jack it up and put blocks under to make it level."

Only a handful of homes remain from the Dyess colony, a federally-assisted farming community of what used to be 500 families back in the 1930s.

Henson grew up around the Cash family and remembers the music legend as "J.R."

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THV Extra: In-depth look at Johnny Cash boyhood home