Johnny Cash Dies at 71 Johnny Cash, country music's "Man in Black," dies due to complications from diabetes at 71. Cash, whose hits include "I Walk the Line," and "A Boy Named Sue," earned 11 Grammys in his six-decade career and was inducted into the Country Music, the Rock and Roll and the Songwriters halls of fame. Cash's death comes four months after the death of his wife, June Carter Cash. Hear NPR's Bob Edwards.