Marshall Grant, Johnny Cash's Bassist, Dies at Age 83
Johnny Cash's longtime bassist, Marshall Grant, died Sunday, August 7, at age 83.
Grant, who played acoustic and electric bass with Cash from 1954 to 1980, was a co-founder of the Tennessee Two.
RollingStone.com reports that he lived in Hernando, Mississippi, and passed away in Jonesboro, Arkansas, while in town for the Johnny Cash Festival.
During his time with Cash, Grant also served as road manager.
His bass playing can be heard on "Folsom Prison Blues," "Ring of Fire," "I Walk the Line" and "Hey Porter" (See video below), among countless other classic Cash songs.
In interviews, Grant said the band's rhythmic style came from his having to switch to bass after playing guitar for years. His unfamiliarity with the bass led to what guitarist Luther Perkins called their "boom-chicka-boom-chicka-boom" sound.
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Damian is Editor-in-Chief of Guitar World magazine. In past lives, he was GW’s managing editor and online managing editor. He's written liner notes for major-label releases, including Stevie Ray Vaughan's 'The Complete Epic Recordings Collection' (Sony Legacy) and has interviewed everyone from Yngwie Malmsteen to Kevin Bacon (with a few memorable Eric Clapton chats thrown into the mix). Damian, a former member of Brooklyn's The Gas House Gorillas, was the sole guitarist in Mister Neutron, a trio that toured the U.S. and released three albums. He now plays in two NYC-area bands.
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