Johnny Cash
(February 26, 1932–September 12, 2003), born J. R. Cash, was an
American singer-songwriter and one of the most influential
musicians of the 20th century. Primarily a country music artist,
his songs and sound spanned many other genres including rockabilly
and rock and roll (especially early in his career), as well as
blues, folk, and gospel.
Cash was known for his deep, distinctive bass-baritone voice, the
"chick- a-boom" freight train sound of his Tennessee Three backing
band, his demeanour, and his dark clothing, which earned him the
nickname "The Man in Black". He traditionally started his concerts
with the introduction "Hello, I'm Johnny Cash".
Cash received
multiple Country Music Association Awards, Grammies, and other
awards, in categories ranging from vocal and spoken performances
to album notes and videos.
In a career that spanned almost five decades, Cash was the
personification of country music to many people around the world.
Cash was a musician who was not tied to a single genre. He
recorded songs that could be considered rock and roll, blues,
rockabilly, folk, and gospel, and exerted an influence on each of
those genres. Moreover, he had the unique distinction among
country artists of having "crossed over" late in his career to
become popular with an unexpected audience, young indie and
alternative rock fans. His diversity was evidenced by his presence
in three major music halls of fame: the Nashville Songwriters Hall
of Fame (1977), the Country Music Hall of Fame (1980), and the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1992). Only thirteen performers are in
both of the last two, and only Hank Williams Sr., Jimmie Rodgers,
and Bill Monroe share the honour with Cash of being in all three.
However, only Cash was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of
Fame in the regular manner, unlike the other country members, who
were inducted as "early influences." His pioneering contribution
to the genre has also been recognized by the Rockabilly Hall of
Fame.[32] He received the Kennedy Centre Honours in 1996. Cash
stated that his induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame, in
1980, was his greatest professional achievement. He was nominated
for best cinematography for "Hurt" and was supposed to appear, but
died during the night.
In 2007, Cash was inducted into the Hit Parade Hall of Fame.*
* Wikipedia
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