It was the mid-nineties and I heard that one of my newly found favourite singer/songwriters, Joe Ely from Lubbock Texas, was playing at the
Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto. So, my cousin Jim a
nd I headed to the show and were lucky enough to meet Joe that night.
Joe played solo that night and had just flown in, but for some reason his guitar tech wasn't with him and when he broke a string, he stopped and re-strung his own guitar saying something like "I don't normally do this, so it could take a bit". Lol.
In 1993, Davey Porta and I headed to the Brendan Byrne Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey, for the Concert for Hunger with Bruce and the "other" band at the time.
Joe Ely and Terrence Trent Darby came out that night to open the show with Bruce to play "I Ain't Got No Home"...Killer!! (check out the Satan's Jewel Crown boot). Joe came out to do "Settle For Love" later that night and I was hooked. Something about Joe's performance made me an instant fan. Well, I shouldn't say instant because my buddy Dave had lent me Dig All Night long before that, but though I liked it, I didn't get into Joe at that time.
On the drive home, we stopped at Tower Records and I bought all the CDs they had of Joe Ely, including one of my favourites, "Musta Notta Gotta Lotta". And we listened all the way back to Niagara. I was hooked and went out and bought everything I could find by Joe. Albums like Love & Danger, Honky Tonk Masquerade, Live Shots are classics and were the albums that really pulled me in, but the one that I have in my top 50 albums of all-time is Letter to Loredo - a masterpiece. Not because Bruce is on it, but some of the best writing I have ever heard!
I'm getting old.....and I'm seeing all of my faves whose music kept me company on my travels are all slowly moving on -
Warren,
Frey, Petty,
Rusty Young,
Prine,
Todd Snider, and so many others...and now
Joe.
I'm still reeling from Todd's passing, and now to lose another one of my all-time faves just sucks. Joe had been sick, and it seemed inevitable...still it stings and he'll be missed. Joe leaves behind an amazing catalogue of music that will always be in rotation with the Rotella boys. Please check him out if you haven't yet! Tell 'em Dave sent ya!
Rest easy, sir.
A sincere thank you for the music.
"If you see (joe)
Tell him I can't come
I've got a previous engagement I've made.
I'm On a Black Spanish Love Seat Behind the Bamboo Shade..."
