State Artist Joe Ely

Description

Joe Ely, 2016 Texas State Musician, is a true pioneer of the Americana sound. Ely’s boundary-blurring blend of rock, country, blues and folk might most accurately be described as ‘Texas Roadhouse.’ His musical roots were established as a boy growing up on the vast and empty plains of West Texas. Ely’s legend was forged onstage, with relentlessly riveting live performances, hammered out over thousands of shows and countless touring miles from Lubbock to London and back again the long way around. Ely is embraced as a kindred spirit by artists as diverse as Bruce Springsteen, Linda Ronstadt and the Clash. Over his four-decade career, he’s been at the forefront of Outlaw Country, Alt-Country, and Texas Country and has been recognized as one of the best songwriters of his generation. Ely has garnered well-deserved accolades including a GRAMMY Award, a CMA Award, and the Americana Music Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Performance. In addition to his groundbreaking work as a solo artist, he is also widely known for his musical partnership with country’s first super group, The Flatlanders, with fellow Texas troubadours Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Butch Hancock.