JJ Cale is dead at the age of 74.
Cale’s website has posted: “JJ Cale passed away at 8:00 pm on Friday July 26 at Scripps Hospital in La Jolla, CA. The legendary singer / songwriter had suffered a heart attack. There are no immediate plans for services. Donations are not needed but he was a great lover of animals so, if you like, you can remember him with a donation to your favorite local animal shelter.”
Born Jon Weldon Cale in Oklahoma City, on December 5, 1938, Cale is probably best known for his songs that became hits for other artists: ‘Cocaine’ and ‘After Midnight’ for Eric Clapton and ‘Call Me the Breeze’ for Lynyrd Skynyrd. Cale’s song ‘Angel’ featured on the latest Eric Clapton album Old Sock.
Cale’s songs were also covered by a wide variety of other musicians including Johnny Cash, Santana, The Allman Brothers Band, Chet Atkins, Clarence ‘Gatemouth’ Brown, Waylon Jennings and John Mayall.
Cale is considered to be the pioneer of the Tulsa Sound that heavily influenced Clapton and Dire Straits’ Mark Knopfler, along with many others.
Cale released 15 solo albums, as well as the 2006 collaboration with Eric Clapton, The Road to Escondido, which won the 2008 Grammy for Best Contemporary Blues Album.
Cale’s final album solo record was Roll On in 2009. Mercury recently released the 5-album box set, Classic Album Selection with #8, Naturally, Troubadour, Grasshopper and Shades.
Cale’s career is outlined in the 2006 documentary To Tulsa and Back.
