Joe Ely is a legend, whether you know it or not – even more so now that he’s left this mortal plane. The dynamic singer/songwriter died on Dec. 15, 2025 from complications of Lewy body dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and pneumonia.
Born in Amarillo, bred in Lubbock, based in Austin and Taos, New Mexico, Ely somehow never became a household name, and that’s honestly a shock. He toured with the Clash. His pals include Lyle Lovett, John Hiatt, Terry Allen, and some guy named Bruce Springsteen. Shock jock pioneer Don Imus loved his band the Flatlanders (with his best buds Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Butch Hancock) so much he pushed them at every opportunity, including offering major market radio stations $10K if they could get one of the band’s singles into the top 10. His genre-crossing early albums Joe Ely (1977) and Honky Tonk Masquerade mark him as as much of a pioneer of the music we call Americana as anyone. And he was such a powerhouse of a performer that Springsteen once declared, “Thank god he wasn’t from New Jersey. I would have had a lot more of my work cut out for me.”
Of course, to Texans, and particularly to those of us who work for Austin City Limits, Ely was recognized as an icon – a maverick, genre-agnostic songwriter who gave performances that alternated between touching our hearts and melting down our cameras. Ely first appeared on the show in Season 5, backed by guitarist Jesse Taylor, accordionist Ponty Bone, and other members of the original Joe Ely Band that tore up stages all across the country. He next appeared in Season 10 for a fabled episode recorded on Halloween that found him surrounded by bizarre costumes and a crack backing group for a blazing performance that showed him to be one of the greatest live performers in the world. Ely would make another nine appearances on ACL: three more headlining shows; performances as part of the Flatlanders, the ensemble gathered for the Season 24 Mexican roots music episode, a singer/songwriter gang twang with Lovett, Hiatt, and Guy Clark, and in the 40th anniversary special; and guest appearances in episodes featuring Steve Earle, Ryan Bingham, and Kevin Welch. He appeared across forty years before being inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2022.
Ely made a good two dozen records over the course of his career – gifts to his loyal audience. But his concerts were what made him the beloved figure he became. As documented on catalog classics Live Shots, Live at Liberty Lunch, and Live @ Antone’s, there were few musicians who could touch him. On a good night, the Ely Band could produce enough energy to light up a city. Even the Clash, on whose tour Ely recorded Live Shots, feared having to follow him.
In later years Ely concentrated more on his songwriting than stage-scorching shows, as his songs became more literate, reflective, and immediate over time. Even as his health became more frail, he continued producing albums full of them on his own Rack ‘em Records label – a sign that no medical difficulties were going to slow him down. He left this mortal coil boasting a musical legacy nearly unmatched by anyone in Texas or elsewhere.
“Joe Ely came out of West Texas like a rocket and shook the ACL stage like nobody before or since,” notes ACL executive producer Terry Lickona. “As far as we’re concerned, Joe was and will always be a superstar.”
We’re proud to have showcased such a remarkable musician for forty years.