1 of 1
Story summary
- Joe Ely, the Texas singer-songwriter, died at 78 on December 15, 2025, at his Taos, New Mexico home.
- The cause was complications from Lewy Body Dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and pneumonia.
- Ely was a pivotal figure in the progressive country scene, starting with the Flatlanders.
- His music fused country, rock, and Americana and defined his career with Honky Tonk Masquerade and Live Shots.
- In 2016, he was named Official Texas State Musician.
