The Strange Connection Between Roy Orbison, Johnny Cash, and Bob Dylan That Caused Rumors of a Curse

How many times must tragedy befall a piece of property before it’s deemed uninhabitable, haunted, or the victim of some unknown curse? Any feasible answer would be purely subjective, of course. But the strange plot of land connecting Roy Orbison, Johnny Cash, and Bob Dylan makes an interesting case for the number three. After all, if the third time’s the charm, it seems reasonable that it could also help identify a curse.

The roots of these strange occurrences lie deepest in Hendersonville, Tennessee, on Old Hickory Lake. Orbison was the first of this unfortunate, star-studded trio to experience the destructive heartbreak that would follow this land for decades.

Roy Orbison Was the First to Experience Tragedy in 1968

Misfortune seemed to follow Roy Orbison around the highest points of his life. The house fire that took the lives of his two oldest sons as his star was rapidly rising is no small exception. The “Only the Lonely” singer was across the pond in Birmingham when he received the news that his house in Hendersonville had burned down due to a petrol explosion that killed the singer’s two eldest sons, Roy Duane and Tony. Orbison’s father tried to save the boys. But as he recalled to the police, the children were engulfed “in a wall of flame” as the family tried to escape, per Alan Clayson’s 1998 biography.

Unsurprisingly, Orbison said he was “totally shattered.” He added, “Probably because I was not close to them. I was here. They were there. I didn’t know about my mother, my father, or my youngest son until the [road] manager put me at ease about them an hour later.” Orbison’s career faltered following the tragedy, and he didn’t experience much of a resurgence until the founding of The Highwaymen. However, Orbison died only months after the band released their debut album.

Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan Fell Victim, Too

Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash lived near Roy Orbison’s old house on the lake in Hendersonville. Rather than rebuilding at the site of his unspeakable loss, Orbison sold his property to Cash with the understanding that the country star wouldn’t build on the property. Instead, Cash turned the former location of Orbison’s house into an orchard. The orchard was a touching tribute to the fellow musician’s lost children. But the good gesture wouldn’t protect Cash’s property from experiencing a similar fate.

In 2007, years after Johnny and June both passed, the Cashes’ Hendersonville residence burned to the ground. According to Sumner County Tourism’s Kendall Sarapas, workers were redoing the floors in the historic home when a worker’s cigarette lit the entire building on fire. The whole building was lost.

Adding to the tragedy was an incident that took place sometime before the fire that took the Cash’s home. Bob Dylan had reportedly started building a house in the same Hendersonville area. However, a tornado blew the structure into Old Hickory Lake. Taking it as a sign from the universe, Dylan didn’t rebuild.

So, are three catastrophes enough proof of a neighborhood-wide curse? Former resident and author William Henry Schmidt seemed to think so. Speaking to The Tennesseean, Schmidt recalled, “When my father bought the property from Roy Orbison in 1981, we were told it was part of a sacred burial ground. While living there, we learned the house is built on caves. You could hear strange noises underneath the house.”

“The area definitely has a strange vibe,” he continued. “We sometimes thought of the place and those who live there as cursed. Was it because these homes are built on violated ground? I am not so sure.”

Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images