Johnny Cash and June Carter immortalized in London, Ont., the site of their engagement

New mural unveiled in downtown London A new mural was unveiled at Budweiser Gardens depicting Johnny Cash proposing to June Carter in London. Sean Irvine reports.

A mural marking the moment music icon Johnny Cash proposed to June Carter is nearly complete in London.

Painted on a Dundas Street wall of Budweiser Gardens, it interprets a famed photo. The photo was taken at the London Gardens on Feb. 22, 1968.

That evening, after many prior on-stage proposals by Cash, June Carter said ‘Yes.’

The new mural, by acclaimed Montreal Artist Kevin Ledo, mirrors the photograph, albeit with a splash of colour added.

“I often paint portraits with some kind of abstract element with it. It was a challenge to paint the man in black with some colour. But, I believe I found a way to do it,” Ledo told CTV News London.

The courtship and marriage between Cash and Carter is portrayed in ‘Walk the Line.’ The film also makes a brief reference to the proposal.

At its 2005 premiere in London, many at the show remembered the moment now immortalized on the brick at the Bud.

Fast-forward to 2023, and it is clear most Londoners welcome its addition.

Dave Morris, a music fan, is among them. However, he contends the mural is in the wrong spot.

“I think it should be out at the Gardens. That’s where it happened. This isn’t where it happened,” he said.

But Andrew Gunn disagrees. His company, along with multiple city agencies, commissioned the work.

“Budweiser Gardens is sort of the successor place to the old London Gardens, so we thought this was the appropriate place for it. I also kind of liked the fact that it was across the street from the courthouse. As we know, Johnny Cash kind of had occasional issues with the law later in his life,” he said.

The cost of the mural, and whether or not tax dollars helped pay for it, has not been disclosed.

However, Gunn argued it will create economic benefits as more murals like it drive tourists to visit.

“Whether those are walking tours, cycling tours, electric scooter tours, whatever. These are things we’ve seen in other communities,” he said.

But with multiple ties to London, a stop on a walking tour might only be the start.

Cash's manager throughout the 1960s and into the 1970s, Saul Holiff, called the Forest City home.

And, the former Canada Trust Bank, with its headquarters in Forest City, once called its ATMs ‘Johnny Cash Money Machines,’ and television ads featured the man in black.

Cash's latest tie to London, ‘The Johnny & June Mural’ is expected to be completed by Thursday.