Johnny Cash Dies

NASHVILLE, Sept. 12 (UPI) -- Johnny Cash, the country music legend who conquered poverty and drug addiction to become an enduring superstar, died [today]. He was 71.

The "Man in Black," as he was known, died of complications from diabetes at Baptist Hospital in Nashville, hospital spokeswoman Nicole Bates told CNN.

Perhaps the most widely recognized voice in country music, Cash turned out hit after hit with his smoky, rumpled baritone from the brooding "Ring of Fire" and the soulful "Folsom Prison Blues" to the surging romanticism of "I Walk The Line" and the deliriously silly "A Boy Named Sue."

He recorded more than 1,500 songs in a career that spanned more than four decades. His 10 Grammys include a lifetime achievement award and the 1998 Grammy for country album of the year ("Unchained").

While Cash has long had one of the premiere voices in country music, his success crossed well over onto the pop scene with 48 singles on Billboard's pop charts.