LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) – Joe Ely was a Lubbock icon, but behind the legend was a guy who just liked to travel and play music, according to those who knew him best.<\/p>\n
Born in Amarillo in 1947, Ely grew up in Lubbock and attended Monterey High School, where he was expelled for playing a risqu\u00e9 song during an assembly. He also once rode his motorcycle down a school hallway. His friend Jimmie Dale Gilmore had already graduated from Monterey, but he heard all about that one. <\/p>\n
\u201cI heard about that from my sister who was in high school – that was legendary,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Stories fed Ely\u2019s unique blend of music, from his first solo song to chart in 1976 to his final collection of songs released this year.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was as interesting a person in real life as he was up on stage,\u201d Gilmore said.<\/p>\n
Gilmore knew Ely both ways. Along with Butch Hancock, the trio formed the Flatlanders in 1972 \u2014 three Lubbock musicians singing the songs of the South Plains.<\/p>\n
\u201cJoe was an heir to Buddy Holly – we all were,\u201d Gilmore said.<\/p>\n
Ely understood the importance of that heritage and worked to ensure it continued, even after he became famous. He organized the Tornado Jam in the early 1980s, a music festival at Buddy Holly Park to mark the anniversary of the deadly tornado and the city\u2019s resilience.<\/p>\n
The festival featured acts like Stevie Ray Vaughan, The Planets and Ely\u2019s friends in The Maines Brothers Band. Band member and music producer Lloyd Maines said they had taken Ely in as one of their own.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe always embraced Joe as a member of our family, and this is a great loss,\u201d Maines said.<\/p>\n
Ely played with some of the biggest names in the business, including Bruce Springsteen, who sang backup for him on \u201cAll Just to Get to You.\u201d Springsteen posted a message about his friend\u2019s death, calling him an American classic.<\/p>\n
Maines said Ely has an enduring legacy.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe had such an influence on other people in the music business because they\u2019d never heard anything like Joe Ely or his music,\u201d Maines said.<\/p>\n
The loss is difficult for his friends.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s been such a big part of my life, and it\u2019s strange to think about not having him,\u201d Gilmore said.<\/p>\n
Ely is survived by his wife, Sharon, and their daughter, Marie Elena Ely.<\/p>\n
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