“The Man in Black” passes
What a career. From his start at Sun Records in the early 50’s, when he, Elvis, Carl Perkins, and Jerry Lee Lewis were on the same label at the same time, to his towering success as a country singer, to later simultaneous acceptance by both hardcore Christians and hardcore punks, Johnny Cash was the real deal.
The rockabilly he and the others did for Sun Records can fairly be considered as one of the major catalysts that started rock and roll. He began dressing in black in the 60’s as a protest against the direction the country was going, a genuinely radical act for a country singer in the 60’s.
He performed at Billy Graham revivals and punk rockers released tributes to him. That gravelly voice will be missed.