Joe Ely, Texas Country-Rock Icon Who Collaborated With The Clash and Bruce Springsteen, Dead at 78
via Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum / YouTube
Joe Ely, a singer-songwriter and key voice in Texas’ progressive country-rock movement, has died at age 78. His representatives said Ely passed away on December 15 at his home in New Mexico due to complications from Lewy Body Dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and pneumonia.
Born in 1947 in Amarillo, Texas, Ely was raised in Lubbock, a place that shaped his sound and outlook. He later moved to Austin, where his mix of country, rock, and restless energy helped push local music forward during a period of change and experimentation.
From West Texas Roots to a Wider Sound
Ely’s music carried a wide view of country and rock, heard in songs such as “All My Love,” “Honky Tonk Masquerade,” “Hard Livin’,” “Dallas,” and “Fingernails.” His writing often cut through old ideas about country music while still respecting where it came from.
In the early 1970s, Ely co-founded the Flatlanders with Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Butch Hancock. The group recorded its debut album in 1972 but split soon after. Ely launched his solo career in 1977 and gained notice with albums like “Honky Tonk Masquerade” in 1978, followed by “Live Shots” in 1980 and “Musta Notta Gotta Lotta” in 1981.
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Crossing Genres and Borders
Ely became known as an artist willing to work across styles. While in London, he connected with the Clash and joined them during sessions for “London Calling.” He later toured with the band, sang backup on “Should I Stay or Should I Go,” and was mentioned in the lyric, ”Well there ain’t no better blend than Joe Ely and his Texas men.”
His ability to move between worlds made him a popular opener for major rock acts. Ely shared stages with the Rolling Stones, Stevie Nicks, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, and Bruce Springsteen. In 2024, Springsteen sang with Ely on “Odds of the Blues.”
Film Work, Honors, and Final Years
Springsteen once praised Ely by saying, “Thank God he wasn’t born in New Jersey. I would have had a lot more of my work cut out for me.” Ely’s reach also extended into film and theater. In the 1990s, he joined the Buzzin Cousins with John Mellencamp, Dwight Yoakam, John Prine, and James McMurtry for Mellencamp’s film “Falling From Grace.”
Robert Redford later invited Ely to write music for “The Horse Whisperer,” which helped lead to a Flatlanders reunion in the 2000s. Ely also appeared in “Chippy: Diaries of a West Texas Hooker” at Lincoln Center and joined Los Super Seven, sharing a Grammy win in 1999. He was inducted into the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame in 2022 and released his final album, “Love and Freedom,” in February.
