OAN Staff Brooke Mallory
1:52 PM – Thursday, November 27, 2025
The estate of Johnny Cash filed a federal lawsuit this week against The Coca-Cola Company, accusing the beverage giant of illegally using the late singer’s distinctive voice and likeness in a 2025 college football advertising campaign without permission.
Johnny Cash was an iconic singer-songwriter known as “The Man in Black.” Famous for his deep, baritone voice and “outlaw” spirit — blending country, rock, folk, and gospel music. He is also known for his honest storytelling and trademark all-black stage wardrobe. Cash died in 2003 at the age of 71.
Cash “has one of the most legendary and distinctive voices in the history of music” and Coca-Cola allegedly used a pirated version of his voice in a “nationwide advertising campaign to enrich itself,” the lawsuit argues.
The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee by the John R. Cash Revocable Trust, specifically highlights how Coca-Cola hired professional Johnny Cash tribute artist Shawn Barker to record vocals for a commercial titled “Go the Distance,” part of the company’s “Fan Work Is Thirsty Work” campaign promoting Coca-Cola Zero Sugar.
“Stealing the voice of an artist is theft. It is theft of his integrity, identity and humanity,” said Tim Warnock, a lawyer for the estate. “The trust brings this lawsuit to protect the voice of Johnny Cash – and to send a message that protects the voice of all of the artists whose music enriches our lives.”
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However, Barker is not named as a defendant.
According to the lawsuit, Barker’s performance is so similar to Cash’s iconic baritone voice that viewers widely believed the ad featured the real Johnny Cash, who died in 2003. The estate contends this constitutes unauthorized commercial exploitation of Cash’s voice and creates a false impression of endorsement.
The suit marks the first major test of Tennessee’s Ensuring Likeness Voice and Image Security (ELVIS) Act, signed into law in 2024, which explicitly protects an individual’s voice from nonconsensual use — including by human impersonators, not just artificial intelligence (AI).
“The trust asserts Coca-Cola violated the ELVIS Act intentionally, fraudulently, maliciously, and/or recklessly and estimated the damages to exceed $75,000,” the Hill reported.
The estate is also seeking an immediate injunction to pull the ad from television and online platforms, as well as disgorgement of profits and corrective advertising.
Additional claims include violation of the federal Lanham Act for false endorsement, and violation of Tennessee’s right-of-publicity and consumer-protection statutes.
What Happens Next
The next steps in the Cash estate’s lawsuit against Coca-Cola follow the standard federal civil process: Coca-Cola will file a formal response to the complaint, and the judge will consider the estate’s request for a preliminary injunction to halt the ad. If the case proceeds, both sides will enter discovery, exchanging evidence about the commercial and the alleged sound-alike performance.
This may lead to settlement talks or motions to resolve the case without trial. However, if neither succeeds, the dispute will go to trial, where a judge or jury will decide whether Coca-Cola unlawfully used a voice identifiable as Johnny Cash.
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