Marshall Grant

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Lore & Background

Grant's career was defined by a complex mix of deep loyalty and eventual legal confrontation. He recorded with Cash from 1954 until 1979, serving as road manager for the touring show company while playing Epiphone upright basses and electric basses by Fender, Epiphone, and Micro-Frets. In the early 1970s, he briefly endorsed Micro-Frets instruments and Sunn amplifiers. Luther Perkins' guitar is famously featured in the foreground of the iconic photo on the album cover for 'Johnny Cash At San Quentin.' However, Cash's recurring drug problems led to issues resulting in Grant being fired. During this time, Grant discovered that Cash had embezzled retirement funds set aside for both Grant and Luther Perkins. In 1980, Grant filed suit against Cash for wrongful dismissal and embezzlement of these funds; a lawsuit for slander was also considered. Coincidentally, Luther Perkins' daughters from his first marriage filed suit against Cash for the same embezzlement. Both lawsuits were eventually settled out-of-court. Despite the bitter legal battles, the two men later reconciled. Grant contended that he was probably Cash's closest and most trusted friend, playing a critical role in helping Cash when drug problems threatened his career and life. Grant made a final appearance onstage with Cash in 1999 as an original member of the Tennessee Two.

In Their Own Story

The origins of the 'boom-chicka-boom' sound began not on stage, but in the workplace. While working at Automobile Sales Company in Memphis, Grant met fellow employees Luther Perkins and Roy Cash Sr. When Johnny Cash returned to Memphis after serving in the U.S. Air Force, they began playing together as three rhythm guitarists, joined by another co-worker, steel guitar player A.W. "Red" Kernodle. It was during this formation that the group collectively decided Grant should switch to playing bass and Perkins would play lead guitar. During these early sessions, Cash used Grant's Martin guitar for performances and songwriting for many years thereafter. As the sound evolved, Grant played a vital part in establishing the rhythm that changed country music. Even as the group expanded to include drummer W. S. Holland in 1960, becoming the Tennessee Three, Grant remained the anchor. His distinctive boats, named with personal musical references like "Ring of Fire" and "A Boat Named Sue," reflected his deep connection to Cash's catalog. Often, members of the Johnny Cash band would work in Grant's pit crews as he owned and raced outboard powerboats for many years.

Reader's Guide

For fans seeking to understand Marshall Grant's legacy, his autobiography 'I Was There When It Happened: My Life With Johnny Cash' offers a direct account. Published in October 2006, it details their beginnings and rise to fame from the perspective of someone who was there from the start. Following his career with Cash, Grant managed the Statler Brothers until their retirement in 2002. He last lived in Hernando, Mississippi, with his wife Etta. His dedication to music continued even after leaving Cash; he "laid down [his] bass for the last time" at the Brooks Museum in Memphis, Tennessee, in August 2010. In a touching tribute years later, Rosanne Cash included "Etta's Tune" on her 2014 album 'The River and the Thread,' dedicated to Grant and his wife. His life ended on August 7, 2011, at age 83 in Jonesboro, Arkansas, while attending a festival to restore Johnny Cash's childhood home. For those interested in visual depictions, he was played by Larry Bagby in the 2005 film 'Walk the Line.' His siblings included Wade, Olson, Burlas, Vernal, Eulean, Hershel, Doris, Odell, Ed, Norma Jean, and Aubrey Grant.

Did You Know?

• Grant discovered that Johnny Cash had embezzled retirement funds set aside for both Grant and Luther Perkins.
• On the album cover for 'Johnny Cash At San Quentin,' Luther Perkins' guitar is famously featured in the foreground of the photo by Jim Marshall.
• In August 2010, Grant laid down his bass for the last time at the Brooks Museum in Memphis, Tennessee.
• Grant owned and raced outboard powerboats with names like 'Ring of Fire' and 'A Boat Named Sue,' often employing Johnny Cash band members in his pit crews.