We’ll meet again
Don’t know where, don’t know when
We’ll meet again, some sunny day…

Just heard it on NPR this morning. Around 1 a.m. EDT, at a hospital in Nashville, Johnny Cash left this world to join his wife, June Carter Cash. He was 71.

I have never been a big fan of country music, so I came to liking Johnny only recently. One of my friends in college had a “greatest hits” cassette that he would listen to constantly. At the time, I dismissed it, as I did with most country music. Later, my musical tastes expanded to include country—mostly the older stuff. I finally gave a listen to Johnny Cash, and, upon hearing him, kicked myself for not paying attention to him earlier on.

Johnny Cash’s music is head and shoulders above the dreck that is country today. He has been able to turn the most unlikely of songs into his very own (e.g. Nine Inch Nails’ “Hurt”). He sang about everything that matters: love, death, sorrow, joy, heartache, pain, longing, temptation, and the Gospel (not necessarily in that order). He recorded over 1,500 songs. He led a full life.

We’ll miss you.