Dr. Joanne Cash Yates

Born into a farmer's family that already included Country Music icon, Johnny Cash, Joanne grew up in the cotton fields of Arkansas. Her brother, Jack, was killed in an accident when Joanne was six years old. The trauma of this event affected her greatly during those years. She graduated from Dyess High School in 1956.

THE ADDICTION TO DRUGS AND ALCOHOL:

Immediately following high school, Joanne married a high school basketball player and moved with him to his military assignment in Germany. The tumultuous marriage ended eleven years later, forcing Joanne to raise three children as a single parent. These events led to depression. As a result of medical treatment, she became dependent upon prescription drugs combined with alcohol, resulting in two accidental drug overdoses and near-death experiences. Following five years of addiction, Joanne came to grips with her lifestyle during a return plane trip from a Cash family reunion in Arkansas with her brothers and sisters.

MARRIAGE TO DR. HARRY YATES:

Joanne met her husband, Harry Yates, on October 18, 1970 during his tenure as youth leader at a Nashville church. Courtship followed during a trip to Israel in 1971, leading to their marriage on December 27, 1971. The couple were regular vocalists for Grand Ole Gospel Time on the Grand Ole Opry stage from 1971-1975. They toured internationally from 1975 until 1990.

NASHVILLE COWBOY CHURCH:

Concluding a musical tour in 1990, the Yates family returned to settle in Nashville. Desiring to begin a church, the couple secured a bar on Sunday mornings to hold church services. From humble beginnings of only six people to a congregation of over 500, the church is going strong. Joanne continues to headline the musical portion of the service, in addition to other local artists who appear weekly. Sunday morning services are now held at the Texas Troubadour Theatre adjacent to the Opryland Hotel.

Joanne also has received her Bachelor of Arts in Ministerial Science, her Master of Theology, and her Doctor of Ministry.