Marshall Grant, architect of Johnny's boom-chicka-boom sound, dies at 83

Marshall Grant waves to a crowd at Mississippi State University's campus in 2007, during the first Johnny Cash Flower Pickin' Festival. Photo by Troy DeRego

Marshall Grant, bass player and original member of Johnny Cash's Tennessee Two, died Saturday. He was 83.

I met Marshall Grant in 2007, the first year we organized the Johnny Cash Flower Pickin' Festival. Leading up to the festival and until his death yesterday, I feel honored to have known such a fine person, a man who just happened to have created one of the most recognizable musical sounds, Johnny Cash's trademark "boom-chicka-boom."

After retiring from performing with Johnny Cash, Grant served as road manager for the Statler Brothers, among a number of musicians. After retiring from the music business, Grant and his wife, Etta, settled in Hernando, Miss., just south of Memphis, where Johnny Cash, Grant and Luther Perkins started their musical career together at Sun Records.

During our many phone conversations and visits, I felt thankful to have an adviser who experienced of the musical world from the outside looking in to assist with the festival. Marshall believed in the event and helped from many angles, from logistics to assisting with securing performers. He advised me about small things inexperienced festival organizers like me wouldn't have considered, such as having the stage at the lowest possible location and having performers facing the sun to keep the audience from facing the sunlight all day. I will remain thankful for his years of brainstorming ideas and believing in the event that recognized Johnny's colorful run-in with the law and celebrated redemption.

Grant was inducted in the Musicians Hall of Fame in 2007.

The world lost a fine man, but Johnny and Luther have another friend in heaven.

Read The New York Times obituary for Grant here.

Marshall Grant accepts a "Ring of Fire" plaque of appreciation from festival executive director Robbie Ward during the 2007 Johnny Cash Flower Pickin' Festival. Grant provided guidance to Ward related to the festival. Photo by Troy DeRego

Marshall's memoir

Marshall discusses how he ended up playing upright bass with Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Two:





Marshall speaks at the Starkville Public Library in 2007 about Johnny Cash's run-in with the authorities in 1965. Marshall participated each year with the Johnny Cash Flower Pickin' Festival.