The world mourns the death of “The Man in Black”

Country legend Johnny Cash died Friday at Baptist Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee. Cash, known as ‘The Man in Black” passed on in the early morning hours due to respiratory failure caused by his ongoing battle with diabetes. Cash has been called the “legend of all legends” and one of the most influential artists of all time influencing the likes of Bob Dylan and the Rolling Stones. His songs, which always had a darker perspective, gained him recognition along with his uniquely deep voice. His songs “Ring of Fire”, “I Walk the Line”, and “Folsom Prison Blues” remain to be some of the most popluar country songs to date. “Folsom Prison Blues” remains to be one of the darkest songs in popular music history, where Cash plays narrates a criminal role saying “I shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die.” In recent years, Cash ended up signing with Rick Rubin’s American Records and recorded tracks that would end up being his last album, American IV: The Man Comes Around. His video for his cover of the Nine Inch Nails’ song “Hurt” would go on to be nominated for six awards at this year’s MTV Video Music Awards, winning one for best cinematography. Cash, who was not present to accept the award was in the middle of a two week treatment for a stomach alignment, which he was released on Tuesday. From his first hit “Cry! Cry! Cry!” when he started in Nashville with friend and fellow musician Elvis Presley, to the Willie Nelson duet “Ghost Riders in the Sky”, and his 1971 classic “The Man in Black”, Cash’s music has now become legendary. It broke down genres and combined the likes of country, folk, and rock into one unforgettable mix. His likeness and image has made “cool” what it is today. He is credited to 11 Grammys and has released close to 100 albums, was inducted into the Country Hall of Fame in 1980, and the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame in 1992. Cash is surivied by his daughter country singer Rosanne Cash, and three other children from a previous marriage. Cash’s music will live on and influence generations like it already has once before.