Tommy Cash born 5 April 1940

 

 

Tommy Cash, (born April 5, 1940), is a singer-songwriter and younger brother of Johnny Cash.

 

Born  April 5, 1940 in  Dyess, Arkansas. Tommy Was born one of seven children in his family, and eight years after his brother, Johnny Cash. He originally intended to be a basketball player. While in High School he formed his first band, but enlisted in the Army soon after graduation. In the US armed forces in Germany during 1958 he presented AFN radio's Stickbuddy Jamboree.Tommy deejayed for Armed Services Radio,perhaps contributing in some part to the incredible success of Johnny's hit of that year,"Ballad of a Teenage Queen".

 

During a recent interview in 2009 Tommy recalls "Well, Johnny and I had to sleep together until I was 10 years old and then he left home and joined the U.S. Air Force. He took care of me and he made me feel safe. So I tell my audience that, "I bet I'm the only one here today who used to sleep with Johnny Cash. He used to take me places and he'd ride me on his shoulders. He made  chocolate fudge on Wednesday nights and always gave me the first piece." As an icon, he achieved things that most of us only dream of. He changed our lives. We were not so much individuals; we were Johnny Cash's family."

 

After resuming civilian life in the early 60"s,Tommy played with Hank Williams Jr.,  he worked in radio and managed his brother's music publishing company.In 1967 he gained his own recording contract from Musicor and  recorded his first single , "That's Where My Baby Used To Be".  He also released "Tobacco Road" and "Jailbirds Can't Fly" on United Artists Records.But he just missed the country top 40 in 1968 with "The Sounds of Goodbye".

 

 

 

 

Over at Epic in 1969, he had his biggest success in the US country charts with "Six White Horses", a tribute to the Kennedys and Martin Luther King. The single hit number 4 and was followed by two Top Ten singles in 1970. Almost as successful were "Rise And Shine" written by Carl Perkins, and "One Song Away".

 

During the 70's Tommy continued to tour and record for Epic, Elektra, 20th Century and Monument. He was a regular fixture on the country music charts, with solid hits on “Rise and Shine,” and a favorite of many, “One Song Away.” He also enjoyed success with “So This Is Love,” and “I Recall A Gypsy Woman,” among others, but by the late 1970s the hits had slowed to a trickle. He won a BMI award for his composition "You Don't Hear", a country hit for Kitty Wells. In 1991, he released The 25th Anniversary Album, which featured guest appearances from Johnny Cash, Tom T. Hall, George Jones and Connie Smith. The follow-up, Let An Old Racehorse Run, included two duets with Jeannie C. Riley. Solid Gold Country was a poor collection of cover versions. 

Of course, Tommy himself didn’t slow down and in the years since he’s continued to perform in places like Branson and on tour. He also maintains a nice website that offers updates on current activities and a place to buy mementos of Tommy and Johnny — and even a book of Mama Cash’s recipes. He does background voiceovers and has been heard in countless commercials, and he is a very popular guest speaker. He also plays the pro-celebrity golf circuit every year. Cash continues to record albums and currently tours around the world. (Info edited from various sources)