Joe Ely, one of the most influential musicians ever to come out of West Texas, died Monday at 78 after complications from Lewy Body Dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and pneumonia. He passed away peacefully at his family’s home in Taos, New Mexico, with his wife Sharon and daughter Marie by his side. It’s a sad, quiet ending for someone whose music spent decades being anything but.
Born in Amarillo and raised in Lubbock, Ely helped define a sound that blended rock, country, and whatever stubborn grit West Texas blows into you whether you want it or not. After cutting his teeth here, he did what nearly every ambitious Lubbock musician eventually does: left. Austin became home base, the world became his stage, and artists like Bruce Springsteen and The Clash took notes while Lubbock mostly took attendance at high school football games.
Ely’s career took off in the 1970s after signing with MCA Records, leading to decades of touring and recording, including his work with fellow Flatlanders Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Butch Hancock. He earned inductions into the West Texas Walk of Fame—once solo, once with The Flatlanders—alongside Roy Orbison, proving that yes, this region occasionally produces people who matter beyond county lines.
Naturally, local institutions reacted with heartfelt social media posts, reminding us that Lubbock loves its legends best once they’re safely enshrined and no longer challenging anyone’s idea of “Texas music.” Blue Light Live mourned. Civic Lubbock offered condolences. Everyone agreed he’d be “sorely missed,” which is local shorthand for “we hope someone names a street after him eventually.”
Joe Ely showed the world what West Texas could sound like—so the question is, will Lubbock ever stop being surprised when one of its own outgrows it?
https://www.kcbd.com/2025/12/16/legendary-texas-singer-songwriter-joe-ely-dead-78/
https://www.everythinglubbock.com/news/local-news/lubbock-music-legend-joe-ely-passes-away-at-78/