Joe Ely (1947-2025)

 

By SoDak

I never got to see the Flatlanders play, but I saw the three main members—Joe Ely, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, and Butch Hancock—perform as solo artists. From Lubbock, Texas, the Flatlanders were a stunning band, with three unique songwriters, blending country, folk, and rock. While their initial run was short, from 1972 to 1973, they were legendary. Each member forged successful solo careers, often collaborating and covering each other’s songs. In 1998, they regrouped as the Flatlanders recording additional records and touring from time to time. I was still hoping to see the three of them perform as the Flatlanders, that is until Ely stopped touring due to complications from Parkinson’s disease and Lewy body dementia. His family continued to fill his world with music up to his death on December 15, 2025. 

Ely was a masterful singer-songwriter. While he was rocker, much of his music is solidly Americana, fusing country and folk. He often incorporated brilliant guitar parts that upped the energy, propelling songs forward. When I saw Ely perform, he was a captivating storyteller, sharing details regarding the people, places, and historical moments that informed the songs. He embodied this tradition. At the time, I remember thinking about how few folks still authentically did this.

In the late 1970s, after seeing Ely play, the Clash befriended him. They would jam late at night, sharing music and stories, creating a rich bond. Ely opened for the Clash on some of their dates in the United States. In their song, “If Music Could Talk, on the Sandinista!, the Clash sing “there ain’t no better blend than Joe Ely and his Texas men.” Later, Ely sang backing vocals on “Should I Stay or Should I Go.” He had a deep appreciation for music, misfits, and renegades, and he easily moved between what appeared to others as different worlds. 

I am a fan of Ely’s entire catalog, despite some of the unevenness in the 1980s. His first record, Joe Ely (1977), includes a brilliant version of Hancock’s “She Never Spoke Spanish to Me.” On his second record, Honky Tonk Masquerade (1978), his ballad “Because of the Wind” still moves me after all these years. I really love his 1990s records—Love and Danger (1992), Letter to Loredo (1995), and Twistin’ in the Wind (1998). Each of these records are distinct, yet they are all fully realized, capturing the richness of his voice and songs. Listen to “All Just to Get to You,” “Gallo Del Cielo,” “Run Preciosa,” and “Twistin’ in the Wind” to get a taste. Then settle into each record and absorb them in their entirety. To hear his brilliance as a country-folk singer listen to “Silver City” and “Wounded Knee” from his record Silver City (2007). To conclude, today, I am listening to the Flatlanders’s song, “South Wind of Summer,” to hear Ely singing with his comrades Gilmore and Hancock.