New Jersey A Salute To Johnny Cash

September 12, 2003

JOHNNY CASH 1932-2003
It is with deep sorrow and an immense sense of loss that we mourn the passing of Johnny. Johnny passed away early this morning at Baptist Hospital in Nashville, TN. There has never been, nor will there ever be another like him. Johnny's legacy, both through his music and life will live on for generations upon generations. We will miss Johnny very, very much.

Johnny was supposed to finish up his new album this month. It looks like an incomplete CD will be released. MTV, VH1 and many other channels are having specials on him.

From VH1.com:

"Just about everyone is deeply saddened by the death of music legend Johnny Cash, whose body of work influenced a range of artists from Justin Timberlake and Pharrell Williams to Metallica and the White Stripes.

"I am deeply saddened by the


passing of Johnny Cash," said Justin Timberlake through his publicist. Timberlake praised the outlaw country singer/songwriter at the MTV Video Music Awards when he said his Moonman for Best Male Video should have gone to Johnny Cash, whose "Hurt" clip garnered six nominations and one win.

"Given the depth and breadth of influence and status, it's obvious that words can't even begin to describe the significance of his passing," Moby wrote on his Web site. "Suffice it to say that few people have been as powerful and influential as Johnny Cash, and the world is a much poorer place for his absence."

Cash died Friday morning of respiratory failure (see "Johnny Cash Dead At 71").

Moby closed his brief eulogy with a consoling thought: "At least he and June can be together again." Johnny's wife June Carter Cash died in May (see Country Star June Carter Cash, Wife of Johnny Cash, Dies At 73").

Artists whose careers span decades are equally indebted to the Man in Black.

"His influence spread over many generations of different people," said the Rolling Stones' Mick Jagger in a statement. "I loved him as a singer and writer."

"I am saddened and very sorry for all Johnny's family," said Elvis Costello. "He was a great, great man."

From those who knew him personally, the importance of his work was matched only by the goodness in his heart.

"He showed me his house, his ranch, his zoo (seriously, he had a zoo in Nashville), his faith, his musicianship," said U2's Bono on the band's Web site. "He was more than wise. In a garden full of weeds, ? the oak tree."

"Not only has the world lost a legend, but we in country music have lost one of our family," Country Music Hall of Famer Loretta Lynn said in a statement. "I know both Johnny and June will always be looking down and watching over us all. The stars in heaven are just a little bit brighter."

"I lost one of my best friends," said country singer Marty Stuart, who played guitar in Cash's band from 1980-85. "It leaves a dark void in my life that is blacker than any coat he ever wore. He is irreplaceable."

Cash garnered acclaim most recently from a new generation of music fans thanks to his cover of Nine Inch Nails' "Hurt," which appears on his latest album, American IV: The Man Comes Around.

"To hear that Johnny was interested in doing my song was a defining moment in my life's work," said NIN's Trent Reznor. "To hear the result really reminded me how beautiful, touching and powerful music can be. The world has truly lost one of the greats. My heart goes out to his family and friends."

The Nine Inch Nails Web site, www.nin.com, was all black on Friday in tribute.

"Hurt" was the latest cover converted into a hit in the American series. With producer Rick Rubin at the helm, the Man in Black basked in a new wave of cool when American Recordings, the first LP in the series, dropped in 1994.

"He's an outsider, never been part of a trend," said Rubin, who also noted that he wasn't a country fan but a Johnny Cash fan. "A rock star is a musical outlaw and that's Johnny."

Audioslave's Chris Cornell agreed with Reznor that being covered by Cash is a great compliment. "Rusty Cage," by his former band Soundgarden, w

 

It is a very sad day in the music community.

Johnny Cash was a great artist. It is a sad thing to see him go.