Johnny Cash's Brother Tommy Had His Own Musical Career

Tommy Cash said he never got tired of being introduced as the younger brother of Johnny Cash.

The country singer passed away Sept. 13, in Hendersonville, Tn. at the age of 84.

Tommy Cash was born in Dyess, Ar., in 1940. He had three sisters and three brothers.

He formed his own band in high school and upon graduation joined the Army. He was assigned to the Armed Forces Radio Network (later American Forces Network) in Frankfurt, West Germany. While there in the 1960’s, Tommy Cash hosted an afternoon country music program, “1505 to Nashville.” He said he never thought when he asked to be assigned to radio he would end up on air at AFN.

When this writer was assigned to the network to host the morning country music show in the summer of 1972, Tommy Cash and his father Ray were visiting the AFNE studios.

I had met Tommy Cash a few years earlier when he performed in Chattanooga and we had some catching up to do.

He talked about his musical career and 1969 top 10 country record, “Six White Horses,” dedicated to President John Kennedy, his brother Attorney General Robert Kennedy and civil rights leader Martin Luther King.

Tommy Cash said he followed up “Six White Horses” with “Rise and Shine” a positive song written by Carl Perkins.

He said he was hoping the up tempo recording would make number one but was proud it reached number nine on the top ten billboard country chart. “It was sort of my signature song, both were fan favorites,” he said.

Tommy Cash said he was proud to be the brother of country singer icon Johnny Cash but equally proud of his musical accomplishments and family oriented shows. He said sometimes he would do musical tributes to his brother. He enjoyed singing for the troops in Europe; that evening he sang to a packed audience at the nearly Frankfurt Topper club.

Tommy Cash said his favorite pastime was golf and he would play with some of the AFNer’s while on tour.

After the Army, he got a job playing with Hank Williams, Jr.

According to “Hello Chattanooga” by David Carroll, Tommy Cash performed in the city twice. His first appearance was at the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Auditorium May 14, 1966, on a country music spectacular with Hank Snow, Sonny James, Warner Mack, Stonewall Jackson and Johnny Paycheck.

He also did two shows at Lake Winnepesaukah on May 23, 1982.

While passing through Chattanooga, Tommy Cash stopped by WDOD radio several times and enjoyed reminiscing with this writer about his days in Germany at the American Forces Network.

He recorded 20 albums, was a regular on The Nashville Network and did some voice work on commercials that included Pepsi, Burger King and GM.

Tommy Cash never gave up singing, but became a licensed realtor in Tennessee and was the listing agent for the sale of the Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash’s home.

Bill Miller, Johnny Cash Museum founder and CEO, said, “Tommy Cash was a loyal supporter of the Johnny Cash Museum and a very beloved member of our extended family as well as a highly respected member of the music industry. This great man will be deeply missed by his friends and many loyal fans around the world. We lost a bright light with the death of Tommy.”

Tommy Cash passed nearly 21 years after his brother Johnny. In our conversation back in 1972, Tommy talked a lot about the closeness of his family and growing up in a Christian Home. He said, “There were some lean years, but most of all we had a whole lot of love.”