Happy birthday, Man in Black

Feb. 26 marks what would have been the 78th birthday of one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century. Despite having been deceased for over six years, Johnny Cash’s final album, American VI: Ain’t No Grave was released earlier this week.
Comprised of exactly what we would expect from the Man in Black, Grave features a then-71-year-old Cash recording a number of songs, including covers, originals and re-recordings of some of his more popular songs.
Continuing in Cash’s American series, Grave was recorded at the same time as 2006’s American V: A Hundred Highways, the first release following Cash’s death in 2003.
Cash’s cover of the popular Hawaiian song “Aloha Oe” provides the twangy guitar background while Cash’s iconic voice breathes new life into a tropical classic. The title track takes Cash back to his vintage sound, supplementing his former upright bass for the march of feet chained in shackles behind the voice that cannot be mistaken for anyone else.
Having become iconic for his original sound and gravelly voice, Cash’s career spanned more than 96 albums since 1954.
Unquestionably one of the most influential voices in music, it’s safe to say Cash is most likely sitting in a fancy dining car, drinking coffee and smoking big cigars ... even if he never did shoot a man in Reno just to watch him die.