Died On This Date (July 26, 2013) JJ Cale / Legendary American Singer-Songwriter
themusicsover John “JJ” Cale
December 5, 1938 – July 26, 2013
JJ Cale was an American singer-songwriter who gave us some of rock music’s most iconic songs. Widely considered a songwriter’s songwriter, Cale’s most famous tunes are “Cocaine” and “After Midnight” which were made into hits by Eric Clapton, and “Call Me The Breeze” a hit for Lynyrd Skynyrd. The seemingly endless list of others who recorded his songs includes Waylon Jennings, Widespread Panic, Tom Petty, and Carlos Santana. Born in Oklahoma City, but raised in Tulsa, Cale set his sights on Los Angeles during the early ’60s. He found work there in a recording studio and at the Whiskey a GoGo, but after not getting much notice, Cale was ready to pack it all in and try something else when he got a call that Clapton wanted to record “After Midnight.” With his career finally on track, Cale went on to release a number of acclaimed albums over the next four decades. His biggest hit single as a performer was 19702s “Crazy Mama” which reached #22 on the Billboard charts. In 2006, he and Clapton were awarded a Grammy for their album, The Road To Escondido. JJ Cale passed away on July 26, 2013 following a heart attack. He was 74.
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