Joe Ely

Joe Ely, the Texas singer-songwriter whose restless, road-tested sound helped define progressive country and later Americana, died Monday, December 15, 2025. He was 78.

His family said Ely died at his home in Taos, New Mexico, of pneumonia alongside complications from Lewy body dementia and Parkinson's disease.

Born February 9, 1947, in Amarillo, Texas, Ely spent formative years in Lubbock, Texas before emerging from its songwriter-rich scene. His early career included co-founding the Flatlanders with Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Butch Hancock, a partnership that became foundational to modern Texas songwriting lore.

Ely broke wider as a solo artist in the late 1970s, pairing sharp storytelling with a roadhouse attack that welcomed electric guitars and restless rhythms. Over the decades, he became known for genre-crossing alliances, including performances and tours connected to artists such as the Clash and Bruce Springsteen. He collaborated further with the Clash, singing the Spanish background vocals on their hit "Should I Stay or Should I Go?"

He earned a reputation as a formidable live performer and a musician's musician, praised for intensity rather than commercial polish. In a tribute, Kyle Young, CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, said Ely "performed American roots music with the fervor of a true believer who knew music could transport souls."

Ely's honors reflected his long influence. He was inducted into the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame in 2022, a milestone that underscored his central role in Texas' modern song tradition. His 1999 collaboration with supergroup Los Super Seven won the Grammy Award for Best Mexican/Mexican-American Album.

By Legacy News Staff

(Image: Paul Natkin/Getty Images)