Steve Cash of the Ozark Mountain Daredevils Has Died
Steve Cash, an original member of the Ozark Mountain Daredevils, and co-writer of the band’s two biggest hits “If You Wanna Get To Heaven” and “Jackie Blue,” passed away Sunday, October 13th at the age of 73 after a prolonged illness. The first original member of the iconic and influential band to pass away, Steve Cash was best known as the band’s spirited harmonica player that made songs like “If You Wanna Get To Heaven” part of the American musical lexicon.
“It is with great sorrow that we have to inform you that one of our founding partners, Steve Cash, passed away this past weekend,” The Ozark Mountain Daredevils said in a statement. “Steve Cash spent 48 years pouring his heart and soul into this band. He was our poet laureate, an amazingly talented harp player, but more importantly, he was our friend and brother and that presence cannot be replaced. We ask that you send good thoughts to his family in this difficult time. Steve Cash may be gone from this Earth, but his lyrics and music will live on forever.”
Born Steve Douglas Cash on May 5, 1946 in Springfield, Missouri, he attended Delaware Elementary and Parkview High School, and wasn’t especially musical early on. Instead Cash was more athletic, playing multiple sports and engaging in track, and built wooden ramps with his neighborhood friends to jump bicycles on, calling themselves “The Daredevils”—a name he would rekindle in the years to come. After attending the University of Missouri in Columbia, he spent time dabbling with poetry, and found himself in Berkeley, California for a while hanging around the music scene before he returned to Springfield. It was then that he would meet John Dillon, who encouraged Cash to learn to play the harmonica.
“My influences were all over the place,” Cash said in a book about the band called It Shined written by bass player Mike ‘Supe’ Granda. “I was just a kid growing up in the ’50s. I didn’t play music and I didn’t play in any bands. At one point, I said, ‘I’m tired of just listening. I want to play.’ Once I started, I was influenced by everything. Then, when we started playing, we all just started influencing each other.”
Soon the Ozark Mountain Daredevils formed around the music scene that emerged from the New Bijou Theater in Springfield in 1971. Along with guitar player Randle Chowning, drummer Larry Lee, the aformentioned John Dillon and Mike ‘Supe’ Granda and a host of other Springfield musicians, multiple incarnations of the band first took root before “Cosmic Corn Cob & His Amazing Ozark Mountain Daredevils” emerged as a force in Springfield music. Since nobody seemed to like the “Cosmic Corn Cob” portion of the name, and they didn’t want to be confused with The Amazing Rhythm Aces, the name was shortened to its current form.
Part country, part Southern rock, part blues and folk, the band signed to A&M Records in 1973, and released their self-titled debut which included the Billboard Hot 100 Top 25 hit “If You Wanna Get To Heaven” later covered by Hank Williams Jr. and many others. Steve Cash wrote or co-wrote four of the debut album’s tracks, and the success of the record put the band in the national spotlight. They would score an even bigger hit from their second album, It’ll Shine When It Shines, when the moody “Jackie Blue” also co-written by Cash went all the way to #3 on the Billboard Hot 100, and extended the band’s influence well beyond country and Southern rock.
However “Jackie Blue” was sort of a strange success for the band since the pop style wasn’t really indicative of the band’s more rootsy sound, and the song didn’t translate into a deeper fan base like “If You Wanna Get To Heaven.” The Ozark Mountain Daredevils began to see diminishing commercial returns from subsequent records and singles, but established a dedicated grassroots fan base and respect from their roots music peers. The band is regularly cited as a significant influence both by their contemporaries in 70’s music, and by newer artists of today.
Aside from a brief period in the early 80’s, Steve Cash remained a member of the band throughout his adult life, and the Ozark Mountain Daredevils are still active today, with original members John Dillon and Mike ‘Supe’ Granda still carrying the legacy forward. They released a new album in 2018 called Off The Beaten Path.
Steve Cash was also a published author, releasing his first book The Meq in the science fiction realm, and later two sequels called Time Dancers and The Remembering. He is survived by his children Cody Cash and Star Hargis, three grandsons, a granddaughter, and his sister, Linda Baird. No formal services are planned. Cash is being cremated by the Walnut Lawn Funeral Home.
October 15, 2019 @ 6:54 pm
Saw them open up for Charlie Daniels Band in Oct of 1980 at Hara Arena in Dayton, OH.
God bless you To Steve’s family.
October 15, 2019 @ 8:50 pm
saw henny youngman open for the ozark mountain daredevils in StL sometime around 1985. the 1980’s were strange, in a good way.
October 15, 2019 @ 7:10 pm
A band I loved the fist time I heard them RIP Maestro!!!
October 15, 2019 @ 7:38 pm
Devastating news. I have been a stalwart Ozark MD’s fan from the mid-70’s and they get regular runs out of my CD collection, to this day!
These guys always had buckets of vocal and instrumental talent plus tremendous song writing ability. Perhaps, to some, they weren’t that “country” because their approach was a little off-centre. But, to me, they were just an awesome band with strong country influences in their multi-faceted delivery.
RIP Steve Cash. Will be much missed.
October 15, 2019 @ 7:58 pm
Chicken train is one of the most random yet fun/catchy songs ever.
October 15, 2019 @ 11:39 pm
Oh, man I loved them as a kid. Jackie Blue is still one of the best songs ever.
October 16, 2019 @ 8:10 am
Yeah I had to go back and look at the release date but I was 14 and played this 45 to death as did the radio. I hadn’t quite graduated to “albums” yet and was still stacking singles on the turntable with the plastic thing in the middle….lol
October 16, 2019 @ 4:11 am
Cannot overstate how great this band was. The first three albums are highly recommended. Start with the self titled first one and go from there. Yes Jackie Blue is an anomaly but I still like it. Larry Lee sang the lead vocal on it and I’ve always favored his vocals, he sang some others in their catalog like Kansas you Fooler and Following the Way that I Feel. He had a “sweet” voice while Steve Cash and the others were more rootsy sounding. Cash had that driving harmonica that made an impression every time you heard it. There’s some great footage on YouTube of the band in their heyday playing live. Great performance on The Old Grey Whistle Test program.
I don’t consider them a country band per se, more roots rock but I think their early stuff stacks up well next to Flying Burritos, Pure Prairie League, Poco and those other early 70s “hippie country” bands.
October 16, 2019 @ 3:39 pm
Totally agree with your summation of the Ozarks. I liked all their songs and albums and especially loved Larry Lee’s work. If anyone ever asked, I used to say his voice and delivery was a little like David Gates from Bread. Their first album probably best represents their quality, although “Men from Earth” has become a real favourite of mine over the last 20-something years.
October 17, 2019 @ 4:09 am
Men From Earth has that gem on it – Watermill. That song is hypnotic and irresistibly catchy, down to the slip note piano lick. Dreamy harmonies. Great stuff!!!
Was thinking about other good Cash songs like Black Sky and of course E.E. Lawson. That one has an odd funk groove to it and it’s weird and trippy, but sticks in my brain.
October 17, 2019 @ 3:37 pm
Oh Man! I could go on and on about songs like Watermill (a big favorite of mine) and I totally agree about the sleazy groove of E.E.Lawson! It didn’t seem to matter what these guys turned their talent to – they made it their own unique and fascinating work of art every time.
October 16, 2019 @ 6:40 am
Coming from rock that was the sound that really got me engaged with country music in the first place. Very sad news.
October 16, 2019 @ 12:29 pm
From one of my first 8 tracks in 1973 putting up hay in my Dad’s barn in Chillicothe Mo
I loved it,now 2019 i still do
Off the beaten path is there newest, i highly recommend it !!! It’s one of my favorites
Get it ! God Bless Steve Cash and family, and friends. My heart is heavy.
October 16, 2019 @ 12:32 pm
Ran lights for these guys a couple of times during the late 80’s. Mr. Cash was the quiet one who seemed to be the steady stable member.. These guys are backwoods hippies! and you couldn’t have met a nicer bunch!
October 17, 2019 @ 4:49 pm
My father and mother , James Micheal Park and Janet Marie Park both were childhood friends with Steve. i grew up listening to them and hearing all about how they all met and where they attended high schools appartently my Uncle hung with him too , kelly Park with David Kershaunbaum whom now since then, was a music producer and followed his dream as he produced the Ozarks Mountain Daredevils first album Respectively, Rest Easy now Steve and make music w the angels!
October 19, 2019 @ 2:43 pm
My mates and I here in Australia grew up with The Ozark Mountain Daredevils in the 70’s.
All the albums were fantastic but It’ll Shine When It Shines is my favourite record ever.
It is so sad to hear of the passing of Steve and please give my sympathy to the family and his friends. I am so sorry The Ozarks never made it out to Australia.
October 21, 2019 @ 7:45 am
Was just notified by Bob at Wildwood Springs that Steve has passed. First saw the OMD at Longview Community College in KC in 1973-1975. LOVED THEM THEN. Still love them today! My favorites are Country Girl, Jackie Blue and If You Wanna Get to Heaven…..and who could forget Chicken Train!!!!!!!! Lots of wonderful music….so sorry for the band who have lost a member of the family as well as Steve’s family. We have lost a kindred spirit!
November 2, 2019 @ 8:49 am
Made me pick up the guitar and play “Beauty in the River”, “it don’t matter what is said we can wake up from the dead and roll away the stone”.
Thank you for all the musical joy you’ve brought us through the years, “there’s a brighter day round the corner, there’s a crown behind the hill, there’s a city of light on that foggy mountain top where the wind is never still”
March 16, 2022 @ 3:09 pm
Started watching the Daredevils practice at Sgf lake, watched them record in a locker room on campus. Always been a fan, still am, ever shall be. Watched Cody run track meets with my Jenn. Love and Blessings to all.
June 8, 2023 @ 5:50 pm
Many bands back then including this one are legendary, that’s why there music is still around after all these years! Not like a lot of the crap today!
June 8, 2023 @ 5:53 pm
Many bands back then including this one are legendary and that’s why there music is still around after all these years! Not like some of the crap today!