What is Joe Ely's real name? Career explored as progressive country musician from Texas passes away at 78

Joe Ely passed away on December 15 due to complications from pneumonia, Lewy Body Dementia, and Parkinson's disease. The country artist was 78 years old at the time of his death and was surrounded by his wife, Sharon, and his daughter, Marie, in his Taos, New Mexico home.

Joe Ely's real name is Earle Rewell Ely Jr. He was born on February 9, 1947. According to the WMKY, Morehead State Public Radio's report, when the singer was little, his family worked at the Rock Island Line railroad. Joe's brother, Mark, was born in 1955.

They moved to Lubbock, Texas, in 1959. Ely's father, Earle Sr, opened a used-clothes store. They bought Joe a violin when he was 8, then his first guitar when he was 11.

When Joe was 14, his father passed away, and his mother, Margaret, ended up getting institutionalized due to grief and trauma. The two brothers then moved and stayed with their relatives.

Joe Ely was inspired by pianist and singer-songwriter Jerry Lee Lewis, and formed his first band, the Twilights, after dropping out of school. They toured and performed in various cities for seven years, from 1963 to 1970.

Ely formed The Flatlanders with Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Butch Hancock in 1971. After the release of their first album, All American Music, the band separated, and the three members went solo.

However, they remained friends and even appeared on each other's music.

Joe released 21 solo albums over the years. His popular songs include Honky Tonk Masquerade, Fingernails, Dallas, Hard Livin', Wishin' for You, and She Never Spoke Spanish to Me.

Joe Ely's most famous album is Musta Notta Gotta Lotta, released in 1981. His last album, Love and Freedom, was released on February 7, 2025.

The musician also toured expansively in the 1970s. Ely was the opening act for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Linda Ronstadt, the Rolling Stones, and the English rock band, The Clash, numerous times.

Joe Ely, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, and Butch Hancock reunited in 2002 and revived the Flatlanders

The three musicians shared the story behind their reunion in a 2003 interview. Joe told the interviewer that despite their separation, the three of them remained close and even went out and watched movies together.

Joe Ely shared that while he worked on solo music, a woman who worked on the soundtrack of the 1998 film, The Horse Whisperer, came up to him and told him that she liked a particular song on his record.

The woman even went to Robert Redford and made his "music guy," seemingly referring to Thomas Newman, listen to the song.

He then talked to Joe Ely and asked him to reunite with the group. Ely then contacted the Flatlanders members, who agreed to make music together again.

Jimmie Dale Gilmore shared that they worked together "really well" and had a "fun time" while making music. After getting together, the band released six albums, the last being Treasure of Love in July 2021.

Notably, Gilmore and Hancock have not released any statement on Joe Ely's passing. Stay tuned for more updates.