Joe Ely (1947-2025) One of the leading figures in Roots Rock and Country Prog.

Joe Ely in tribute today. He passed away yesterday from Parkinson’s disease and Lewy body dementia at 78.

Joe Ely was a leading light in the Texas Progressive Country movement and enjoyed a genre-crossing career, performing with Bruce Springsteen, Uncle Tupelo, Los Super Seven, The Chieftains, James McMurtry, The Clash, Lyle Lovett, John Hiatt, and Guy Clark.

Born in Amarillo, Texas, Ely spent his teenage years in Lubbock, Texas, and attended Monterey High School.

In 1971, with fellow Lubbock musicians Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Butch Hancock, he formed The Flatlanders. According to Ely, “Jimmie [Gilmore] was like a well of country music. He knew everything about it. And Butch was from the folk world. I was kinda the rock & roll guy, and we almost had a triad. We hit it off and started playing a lot together. That opened up a whole new world I had never known existed.”

Ely’s first, self-titled album, was released in 1977.

The following year, his band played London, where he met punk rock group The Clash. Impressed with each other’s performances, the two bands later toured together, including appearances in Ely’s hometown of Lubbock, as well as Laredo and Ciudad Juárez in Mexico, across the border from El Paso, Texas. The Clash paid tribute to Joe Ely by including the lyrics “Well there ain’t no better blend than Joe Ely and his Texas Men” in the lyrics of their song “If Music Could Talk”, which was released in 1980 on the album Sandinista! Ely sang backing vocals on the Clash single “Should I Stay or Should I Go“. Joe Strummer planned to record with Ely’s band, but died before that ever happened—one of Ely’s greatest regrets. Another collaboration was with Dutch flamenco guitarist Teye, with whom he recorded Letter to Laredo (1995) and Twistin’ in the Wind (1998).

Throughout his career, Ely has issued a steady stream of albums, most on the MCA label, and a live album roughly every ten years.

Today, it’s a gig he played at The Lonestar in New York City on July 14, 1987.

If you aren’t familiar, dive in – if you are familiar, you’ve already skipped the part and headed straight to the show.

Either way – enjoy.

And while you’re here, we have a special favor to ask you: