# R.I.P. Johnny Nash **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** celebrity-death, music\ **Created:** [October 7, 2020, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-johnny-nash/922431 "2020-10-07T15:41:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2020, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-johnny-nash/922431/1 "2020-10-07T15:41:06Z")
Johnny Nash, the singer best known for [I Can See Clearly Now](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FscIgtDJFXg), has died at the age of 80: > **[Johnny Nash, reggae singer best known for I Can See Clearly Now, dies aged 80](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/oct/07/johnny-nash-reggae-singer-best-known-for-i-can-see-clearly-now-dies-aged-80)** > > Nash, who had been in declining health, rose from pop crooner to reggae star and topped the charts in 1972 with his positive-vibes anthem Nash was so associated with I Can See Clearly Now that it’s easy to forget he had other hit records. I particularly like [Hold Me Tight](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x79a2qB5L-Q). Johnny Nash also sang the theme song for the cheesy Saturday-morning cartoon [The Mighty Hercules](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laoBvt9CcQo). ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2020, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-johnny-nash/922431/2 "2020-10-07T15:46:52Z")
I met him and got his signature on copy of “I Can See Clearly Now” at a record signing in Filenes. It must have been 1972, right after the song became a hit. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2020, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-johnny-nash/922431/3 "2020-10-07T16:07:27Z")
Its true, I only remember him for the one song, but I did recognize the name immediately. It was a great song. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2020, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-johnny-nash/922431/4 "2020-10-07T16:42:20Z")
> [@Jeff\_Lichtman](#): > > Johnny Nash also sang the theme song for the cheesy Saturday-morning cartoon [The Mighty Hercules](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laoBvt9CcQo). To Avoid Confusion Department: In 2005, **The Mighty Hercules** was remastered and the Johnny Nash music was replaced. 😠 It is awful. Anyone else hearing these lyrics in yer head? Hercules, he is a big fat phony Hercules: made of cheese and baloney Fighting for his life with a rubber knife With the strength of ten flimsy paper men That’s the mighty Hercules! 😆 ---
**Author:** ![saucywench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@saucywench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saucywench)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2020, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-johnny-nash/922431/5 "2020-10-07T17:19:55Z")
You might remember this song too. I heard this one way before I ever heard Marley’s original. _Stir It Up_ [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/8g2vdXORyJA/hqdefault.jpg "Johnny Nash Stir It Up 45 rpm vinyl hit version") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8g2vdXORyJA) _I Can See Clearly Now_ is a great song. Part of the soundtrack of my life. Bellevue, NE ca. '72-'74. Guaranteed to be played at Skateland, maybe more than once if you stayed for the extra session, which we always did. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2020, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-johnny-nash/922431/6 "2020-10-07T17:22:53Z")
I do remember that but didn’t even associate it with him. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2020, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-johnny-nash/922431/7 "2020-10-07T18:42:32Z")
One thing I forgot to mention is that _ **I Can See Clearly Now** _ is probably the first reggae song that most Americans ever heard. _ **Israelites** _ by Desmond Dekker preceded it by a few years, but that didn’t get nearly the airplay that _ **I Can See Clearly Now** _ did. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2020, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-johnny-nash/922431/8 "2020-10-07T18:43:25Z")
Weird Mandela Effect thang going on here for me: I was absolutely CERTAIN that he had died in the early 70’s (of cancer or a plane crash or such). It was a total shock to see the news of his demise last night.