Joe Ely has died aged 78. A native Texan, the singer-songwriter was a critical force in the ‘progressive country’ scene that developed around Austin during the 1970s and ’80s.
Joe Ely has died aged 78. A native Texan, the singer-songwriter was a critical force in the ‘progressive country’ scene that developed around Austin during the 1970s and ’80s.
Born on February 9, 1947 and raised in Lubbock, Ely first gained attention with The Flatlanders, who he formed with fellow local musicians, Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Butch Hancock in 1971.
But their proto-Americana – a blend of country, folk, rock’n’roll and western swing – fell largely on deaf ears outside their home state of Texas.
They broke up in a little over a year, with Ely going on to work for the Ringling Brothers Circus, before forming his own band.
Ely’s self-titled debut album came in 1977. That same year, he met The Clash in London, going on to play live with them – including one date in February 1980 at London’s Hope & Anchor.
“We had a couple of days when we weren’t doing anything, so we asked The Clash if they wanted to do some jamming,” Ely told Uncut in 2021.
“We just started playing things we knew, like old Buddy Holly songs and rockabilly stuff. And Clash things too, like ‘Jimmy Jazz’ and ‘I Fought The Law’. You had two complete bands playing on this little tiny stage about the size of a mattress. It’s real interesting, because it’s got this reggae influence and then the sound of Lubbock, Texas, where I come from – kind of a western dustbowl feel, with steel guitar, accordion and country music from the ’50s and ’60s.”
Ely also sang the Spanish backing vocals on “Should I Stay Or Should I Go?” and was further immortalised on “If Music Could Talk”, from Sandinista!: “Well there ain’t no better blend than Joe Ely and his Texas Men”.
Ely continued to release solo albums, including his experimental albums Hi-Res and B4 84 – reportedly one of the first albums ever recorded on an Apple desktop computer.
1995’s Letter to Laredo, meanwhile, featured guest vocals from another long-term admirer, Bruce Springsteen.
In 2025, Springsteen inducted Ely into American Music Honors – an annual event hosted by the Bruce Springsteen Archives & Center for American Music -saying: “He’s got that voice, the one I wished I had. It’s got that slight southern country twang, it’s got a hint of rockabilly. It’s got the depth and emotion of Johnny Cash and it’s as deeply authentic as his Texas roots.
“I’ve been blessed to sing on his records and be onstage with Joe on occasion and the only thing I can say is: Thank God he wasn’t born in New Jersey. I would have had a lot more of my work cut out for me.”
Ely reunited with The Flatlanders during the 1990s and 2000s. He also formed a short-lived supergroup called the Buzzin’ Cousins with John Mellencamp, Dwight Yoakam, John Prine and James McMurtry, recording “Sweet Suzanne” for the 1992 Falling From Grace.
His final studio album, Love And Freedom, was released in February this year.
According to Variety, the cause of death was complications from Lewy Body Dementia, Parkinson’s disease and pneumonia.
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