Joe Ely, Singer-Songwriter Whose Legacy Touched Rock and Punk, Dies at 78

Joe Ely, the influential Texas-born singer-songwriter whose blend of honky-tonk, rock and roadhouse blues made him a favorite among other musicians and led to collaborations with Bruce Springsteen and the Clash, has died. He was 78.

Ely died Monday at his home in Taos, New Mexico, of complications from Lewy Body dementia, Parkinson’s and pneumonia, according to a post on his Facebook account and later confirmed by his representatives.

Ely was considered a key figure in the progressive country music movement as a founder of the influential country-rock band The Flatlanders with Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Butch Hancock and later as a solo artist.

“Joe Ely performed American roots music with the fervor of a true believer who knew music could transport souls,” said Kyle Young, CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

“But his true measure came through in the dynamic intensity of his powerhouse live performances, where he could stand his ground aside fellow zealots Bruce Springsteen — who recorded duets with Ely — and the Stones and the Clash, who took Ely on tour as an opening act.”

After signing with MCA, Ely released his first solo album in 1977. He would release more than 20 albums during his career, including Love and Freedom this year.

Born on Feb. 9, 1947 in Amarillo, Ely stayed connected to his Texas roots through decades of recording and performing that lacked a mainstream breakthrough but made him a favorite of other artists.

“Every time I start a new album, I head up to West Texas and drive around, you know, drive on those old cotton roads and in the wide-open spaces, and every once in a while I’ll come across a place where I’ve spent some time,” Ely told Texas Monthly in 2011.

It was a soundcheck for a show in London that led to the collaboration with the Clash. Ely would open for the British punk band at several shows and sang backup vocals on their “Should I Stay or Should I Go?”

Ely also played on the 1998 album Los Super Seven, sharing a Grammy for best Mexican American music performance with members of that collective, including Freddy Fender and Los Lobos’ David Hidalgo.

Survivors include his wife, Sharon, and his daughter, Marie.