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.
“The six-string bass guitar was a dream – if Leo Fender could come back today I think he would approve”: 10 6-string bassists you need to know
“It’s great to tap like Les Claypool and thump like Marcus Miller, but the world of a studio bassist is different”: Having graced hits by OutKast, TLC, and Usher, LaMarquis Jefferson carved a niche in a scene long dominated by synthetic low-end
