J. J. Cale

J.J. Cale
Cale in 2006
Cale in 2006
Background information
Birth nameJohn Weldon Cale
Born(1938-12-05)December 5, 1938
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S.
DiedJuly 26, 2013(2013-07-26) (aged 74)
San Diego, California, U.S.
Genres
Occupations
  • Musician
  • songwriter
  • producer
Instruments
  • Guitar
  • vocals
Years active1958–2013
Labels
Websitejjcale.com

John Weldon "J. J." Cale[1] (December 5, 1938 – July 26, 2013) was an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. Though he avoided the limelight,[2] his influence as a musical artist has been acknowledged by figures such as Neil Young, Mark Knopfler, Waylon Jennings, and Eric Clapton, who described him as one of the most important artists in rock history.[3] He is one of the originators of the Tulsa sound, a loose genre drawing on blues, rockabilly, country, and jazz.

In 2008, Cale and Clapton received a Grammy Award for their album The Road to Escondido.

  1. ^ "Biography". JJ Cale official website. Retrieved April 19, 2019.
  2. ^ "I was always a background person. It took me a while to adjust to the fact that people were looking at me 'cause I always just wanted to be part of the show. I didn't want to be the show." To Tulsa and Back: On Tour with J.J. Cale (2005)
  3. ^ Martin Chilton (July 25, 2014). "Eric Clapton: JJ Cale got me through my darkest days". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on January 12, 2022. Retrieved November 4, 2015.