  In reading across the net today, one can see how profound this man's impact was on people from every walk of life. He must of had the most pluralistic fan base of any modern musician. I did not know until today that Cash had been elected to both the Rock and Roll and Country Halls of Fame. The NPR story is still the best I've seen, but if you feel as moved as I on this sad and somber occasion, follow these links to read as obit writers everywhere tried to step up to the plate and honor his life. Salon said this in urlLink their obit : "Low and dark, devoid of cream and especially sugar, Cash's voice was the sound of black coffee, a sound you didn't know you needed until you got that first sip. And by then you were hooked. " NYT had urlLink this obit of Johnny Cash. It includes a slide show. The Guardian had urlLink this obit. The bottom of the article links to a previous Guardian article that's also good: Five Extraordinary Pieces: Five Johnny Cash Tracks You Should Own . urlLink Wired said this: Passage: Johnny Cash, 71 The original "Man in Black" used his rockabilly sound and limited, unsteady voice to become one of the towering figures in American music.
Cash's most powerful songs -- Folsom Prison Blues, I Walk the Line, The Ballad of Ira Hayes -- reflected his lifelong solidarity with the downtrodden, the working man and the dispossessed. He wrote most of his own material, but was among the first to record the songs of Kris Kristofferson and Bob Dylan, who cites Cash as a major influence. He won 11 Grammys, numerous Country Music Association awards and was inducted into both the Country Music and Rock and Roll halls of fame.
urlLink U2.com said this: Bono spoke today about the legendary American singer Johnny Cash, who has died aged 71. "I considered myself a friend, he considered me a fan - he indulged me. He showed me around his house, his ranch, his zoo (seriously, he had a zoo in Nashville), his faith, his musicianship - it was a lot to take in. " "He was more than wise. In a garden full of weeds - the oak tree.
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