Tommy Cash, younger brother of Johnny Cash, passed away on Friday, Sept. 13 at the age of 84. The sad news was first announced by The Johnny Cash Museum in Nashville, Tennessee, where Tommy was a long-time supporter. Fans everywhere are posting their tributes to Tommy as the news spreads.
Founder and CEO of the Cash Museum, Bill Miller, issued a statement to announce Tommy's passing. He wrote: "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."
According to a report by local outlet KAIT8, Tommy's cause of death has not been revealed publicly, but more details are expected. Tommy was a huge presence in the community, not just in the music industry but in Nashville real estate as well. Fans are mourning him as a torch-bearer of his family's legacy, as well as a performer in his own right.
Tommy was the youngest child of Ray and Carrie Cash, who were cotton farmers in rural Arkansas. They had seven children in total, with Johnny Cash right in the middle. Tommy took an interest in music from a young age, forming a band during high school and working for the Armed Forces Radio network as a DJ during his service in the U.S. Army. Afterward, he played with Hank Williams Jr. and scored a record deal in 1965.
Tommy had several big hits over the years – notably "The Sounds of Goodbye" in 1968 and "Six White Horses" in 1969, which was dedicated to John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. The following year his songs "One Song Away" and "Rise and Shine" took off, and in 1973 his song "I Recall a Gypsy Woman" made the top 20.
Tommy's music is available now on most major music streaming platforms. Fans are posting their tributes to him on social media this weekend.