Joe Ely, Texas Music Pioneer and Collaborator with The Clash, Dies at 78
Joe Ely, a seminal figure in Texas songwriting whose career spanned decades and continents – from the stark landscapes of the Panhandle to collaborations with musical icons like The Clash – died Monday at his home in Taos, New Mexico.He was 78 years old and succumbed to complications from Lewy Body Dementia, Parkinson’s, and pneumonia, according to an proclamation made on the singer-songwriter’s Facebook page.
His initial instrument wasn’t the guitar, however. Ely first honed his skills on the violin in the school orchestra.A move to Lubbock proved transformative,coinciding with the aftermath of Buddy Holly’s death. “When I was about 11 or 12,Buddy Holly had just died,and every kid in Lubbock was playing a Stratocaster,” Ely explained. “And so… the violin got put in a case, and the Stratocaster got plugged in.”
Lubbock’s restrictive alcohol laws in that era led ely to seek out music in the surrounding areas. “I got to see this whole kind of evolution go from the country stuff into the into the early rock and roll era,” he said, describing his explorations beyond the town limits.
The windswept plains of the Panhandle fostered a unique musical spirit, driving talented musicians to seek opportunities elsewhere. It was in this environment that Ely joined forces with Butch Hancock and Jimmie dale Gilmore, forming the influential band The Flatlanders.”They were able to keep a song in the setting of West Texas, but make it interesting,” he observed. “All of a sudden I looked at West Texas differently.”
ely’s songwriting prowess caught the attention of an unexpected audience in 1978 during a soundcheck in London. As he recounted with a chuckle, “one of the people from the club came back and said, ‘there’s some scruffy young gents that would like to meet you.'” Those “scruffy gents” were none other then The Clash, who had recently achieved success with their cover of Sonny Curtis’s “I Fought The Law,” another Lubbock native.
A shared appreciation for diverse musical influences bridged the cultural gap between the Texan songwriter and the British punk band. Ely noted a surprising common ground, stating, “I liked Garcia Lorca, the Spanish poet and, [Joe] Strummer liked Marty Robbins ballads like ‘El Paso’ and ‘Streets of Laredo’ and all these songs, and so we kind of had this strange thing in common, even though we grew up on different sides of the ocean.” He later contributed backing vocals to The clash’s hit song, “Should I Stay Or Should I Go.”
Ely’s own sound continued to evolve, incorporating elements of rock and roll, exemplified in songs like “Musta Notta Gotta Lotta” and “Cool Rockin’ Loretta.” His affinity for Spanish music found a prominent outlet in the supergroup Los Super Seven, with whom he shared a Grammy Award in 1999 for Best Mexican-American Album. The group included musical luminaries such as Freddy fender, David Hidalgo, Doug Sahm, Cesar Rosas, Flaco Jiménez, and Rick Treviño.
Throughout his career, Ely’s songs resonated with audiences through relatable characters and settings. Reflecting on the subjective nature of perception, he stated in 2020, shortly after releasing his pandemic album Love in the Midst of Mayhem, “Two people can see the same thing taking place and report it totally different, you know, in a different light.” This nuanced perspective is a hallmark of his songwriting, rewarding repeated listens and offering new insights over time.
Despite a prolific output, tours alongside the Clash, and even opening for the Rolling Stones in the early 1980s, Ely never achieved mainstream superstardom. His 2022 induction into the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame underscored the deep respect he earned from fellow musicians. Joe Ely remains a Texas treasure for those who appreciate his lyrical depth and enduring sound, carried on the wind.
