Johnny Cash lives on in the hearts and minds of his fans, now. I'm of an age where the icons in my life are slipping away, and this is one icon I hate to see go.
I'm not much of a country music fan. My family didn't listen to country music when I was a kid, but you couldn't miss Johnny Cash in those days. He was a STAR, and you watched whether you were a fan of country music or not. He lived large and entertained well, and he became part of the fabric of our lives.
There was always the hint of danger, a bit of roughness, or a little of the unexpected about him, but he had the ablilty to be gentle, too. I liked the stability that came into his life with his love for June Carter, and I liked the fire he brought to her. They were married to others when they met, and went through hard times before they could be together. June Carter Cash wrote "Ring of Fire" for Johnny, about that time in their lives.
I liked the black he wore, and I liked the long coats. I loved the interaction on stage between Johnny and other performers, and I loved his sense of humor. Most of all I loved that I could sing along, or just sit and listen. I liked his music either way.
Both Johnny and June had been ill for the past few years. A life on the road as an entertainer is a hard one; it took a lot out of them. June died in May, and I'm not surprised that Johnny has followed her so soon. I expect that there's beautiful music in heaven today.
Farewell, J.R. Cash, and thanks for all the good times!