Tommy Cash, younger brother of the famous Johnny Cash, passed away at 84. They were both two of seven children in the Cash family. Tommy and Johnny shared many things in common, including country music and being a U.S. military veteran. Johnny served in the U.S. Air Force in the early 1950s as a SSgt and Tommy served in the U.S. Army after high school in the late 1950s. Tommy served in the U.S. Army as a disc jockey for the Armed Forces radio network. Post-service he trailblazed into the country music scene and by the mid-1960s was making headway by getting a contract with Musicor Records. He got to play with Hank Williams Jr. on his way up the country music scene and in 1966 signed with United Artists which led to his first top 40 hit song The Sounds of Goodbye. He scored a top 10 hit with Six White Horses which is dedicated to John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King. The number four hit song was done through his deal with Epic Records and was later covered by country music legend Waylon Jennings. He had two more top 10 hits Rise and Shine and One Song Away. He hit the top 20 in 1973 with I Recall a Gypsy Woman which was the last high-ranking chart song of his career.
Founder and CEO of Icon Entertainment, Bill Miller released the following statement through the Johnny Cash Museum site:
“Shannon and I lost a very, very dear friend last evening. I knew him for over 50 years. Tommy Cash was a loyal supporter of the Johnny Cash Museum and a very beloved member of our extended family as well as a highly respected member of the music industry. This great man will be deeply missed by his friends and many loyal fans around the world. Please keep Tommy’s beloved wife, Marcy and his family in your prayers.”
Tommy got to sing with his brother in 1990 with the song Guess Things Happen That Way. Cash even tried his hand at acting and made his initial silver-screen debut in The River Thief which came out in 2016. The film is about a reckless teen who crosses paths with Cash’s character and his granddaughter and threatens their lives. A man of many talents he tried his hand at real estate and was the agent who listed Johnny and June Carter Cash’s home in 2003 after they had both passed. In all, Cash recorded and released over 20 albums and 40 plus singles during his country music career. Songs of his that charted including the aforementioned Your Lovin Takes the Leavin Out of Me, The Tears on Lincoln’s Face, She Met a Stranger, I Met a Train and The One I Sing My Love Songs To and one that didn’t chart but is a fun take on his older brother’s hit song I Didn’t Walk the Line. Another memorable member of the Cash family passes and leaves behind their country music and military service legacy.