It’s hard to overstate Joe Ely’s influence. When your admirers range from Bruce Springsteen to the Clash, it says everything about both your reach and your range. Ely helped lay the groundwork for what became alt-country/Americana—starting with the Flatlanders—and then spent the rest of his career embodying Texas music in its fullest sense: folk storytelling, country grit, Tex-Mex dancehall groove, and rock-and-roll fire, all living in the same frame. Ely passed away last week, leaving behind a legacy that continues to inspire.
Here is a collection of videos that only scratch the surface of Ely’s artistic talent. First up is a The Flatlanders classic “I Had My Hopes Up High”, featuring an intro story about Ely from bandmate Butch Hancock. From there we move onto an acoustic version of an Ely signature tune “Me and Billy the Kid” (with John Hiatt looking on with a big ol’ smile on his face), Ely showcasing his rock and roll edge on an incendiary “Musta Notta Gotta Lotta”, and accompanied by Bruce Springsteen on “All Just to Get to You” (one of my fave Ely songs). We close it out with a solo Ely performing Billie Joe Shaver’s “Live Forever”.
About the author: Mild-mannered corporate executive by day, excitable Twangville denizen by night.