Tommy Cash, Country Singer and brother of the late music icon Johnny Cash has died at the age of 84.
The Johnny Cash Museum confirmed Tommy's death in a statement Saturday, “We are saddened to announce that the world lost a bright light last night with the passing of Tommy Cash.” No cause of death was given. Tommy died on September 13, one day after the 21st anniversary of Johnny's death on September 12, 2003.
“Tommy Cash was a loyal supporter of the Johnny Cash Museum and a much-loved member of our extended family as well as a highly respected member of the music industry,” added Bill Miller, founder of the Johnny Cash Museum in Nashville. “This great man will be sorely 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, who was eight years younger than John, followed in his older brother's footsteps into the music business, first as a DJ for the armed forces after joining the Army, then as a musician in Hank Williams Jr.'s band.
In 1965, Tommy Cash signed his first recording deal, and three years later released his first album. Here is Tommy CashThe following year, Cash released his most famous single, “Six White Horses,” a tribute to the late John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, and Martin Luther King; the song, which reached No. 4 on the U.S. country chart, was also performed by Johnny's friend Waylon Jennings in 1971.
Two more of Tommy Cash's singles were in the Top 10 that year: “Rise and Shine” and “One Song Away”. Tommy Cash remained an active musician for the next several decades, collaborating with his brother Johnny on the 1990 hit “Guess Things Happen That Way”:
“He performed all over the world throughout his career, carrying on Cash's legacy long after the death of his brother, Johnny Cash, in 2003,” the museum added.
