Biography
Joe Ely (born February 9, 1947, Amarillo, Texas, United States) is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist whose music touches on honky-tonk, Texas Country, Tex-Mex and rock and roll.
He has had a genre-crossing career, performing with Bruce Springsteen, Uncle Tupelo, Los Super Seven, The Chieftains and James McMurtry in addition to his early work with The Clash and more recent acoustic tours with Lyle Lovett, John Hiatt, and Guy Clark.
Ely spent his formative years from age 12 in Lubbock, Texas and attended Monterey High School.
In 1970, with fellow Lubbock musicians Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Butch Hancock, he formed The Flatlanders. In 1972, the band released their first and— until 2002's Now Again— only album, but have appeared together on each other's albums. Since the band's initial break-up just after their first album was cut, the three musicians have followed individual paths.
Ely's own first, self-titled album, was released in 1977
Te Joe Ely Band song "Brainlock" was featured in the 1980 movie Roadie.
In the late 1990s Ely was asked to write songs for the soundtrack of Robert Redford's movie The Horse Whisperer, which led to re-forming The Flatlanders with Gilmore and Hancock. A new album from the trio followed in 2002, with a third in 2004.
In February 2007, Ely released Happy Songs From Rattlesnake Gulch on his own label, Rack 'Em Records.
A book of Ely's writings, Bonfire of Roadmaps, was published in early 2007 by the University of Texas Press. In early 2008, Ely released a new live album featuring Joel Guzman on accordion recorded at the Cactus Cafe in Austin, Texas late 2006.
The Flatlanders released their newest album "Hills and Valleys" on March 31, 2009.
In 2011, Ely released the critically acclaimed album, "Satisfied At Last.”
He has had a genre-crossing career, performing with Bruce Springsteen, Uncle Tupelo, Los Super Seven, The Chieftains and James McMurtry in addition to his early work with The Clash and more recent acoustic tours with Lyle Lovett, John Hiatt, and Guy Clark.
Ely spent his formative years from age 12 in Lubbock, Texas and attended Monterey High School.
In 1970, with fellow Lubbock musicians Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Butch Hancock, he formed The Flatlanders. In 1972, the band released their first and— until 2002's Now Again— only album, but have appeared together on each other's albums. Since the band's initial break-up just after their first album was cut, the three musicians have followed individual paths.
Ely's own first, self-titled album, was released in 1977
Te Joe Ely Band song "Brainlock" was featured in the 1980 movie Roadie.
In the late 1990s Ely was asked to write songs for the soundtrack of Robert Redford's movie The Horse Whisperer, which led to re-forming The Flatlanders with Gilmore and Hancock. A new album from the trio followed in 2002, with a third in 2004.
In February 2007, Ely released Happy Songs From Rattlesnake Gulch on his own label, Rack 'Em Records.
A book of Ely's writings, Bonfire of Roadmaps, was published in early 2007 by the University of Texas Press. In early 2008, Ely released a new live album featuring Joel Guzman on accordion recorded at the Cactus Cafe in Austin, Texas late 2006.
The Flatlanders released their newest album "Hills and Valleys" on March 31, 2009.
In 2011, Ely released the critically acclaimed album, "Satisfied At Last.”