Lord of the Highway

Joe Ely celebrated his birthday this Friday, turning 60. I grew up knowing and singing his songs before I even knew exactly who Joe Ely was. I was able to see him in small venues like Fat Dawgs and much bigger ones like the Tornado Jam, pictured above. I love the photo and still have the concert t-shirt with the same picture. I saw him play in a cotton field that was fenced-off with a stage and a place to sell drinks. I saw him on a local TV station opening up for the Clash in London. Regardless of the venue everyone would turn out - grits, frats, suits, bikers and people without any convenient handle. I could write for a long spell about growing up in Lubbock and the music that came from there (and will later), but for now let the entertainment editor for The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, William Kerns give you a much better introduction to Joe Ely.

Joe Ely part 1 Joe Ely part 2

Joe's own web site is mainly about his music and other works, but the FAQ section has a lot of little known tidbits concerning Joe's life.