Texas music legend Joe Ely is going back to his roots—though it might be said he never left them. After some 45 years in the business, the influential singer-songwriter is releasing an ode to his home, reports NPR newsmagazine Texas Standard. The album, entitled Panhandle Rambler, is a paean to Ely’s native home on the South Plains. Ely was born in Amarillo and raised in Lubbock. The singer hopped trains as a teenager, and says he never really appreciated the Panhandle until he left. But he always came back to the flatlands.
In Ely's long career, he's made music ranging from honky-tonk to punk. He sang back up on the Clash’s hit “Should I Stay or Should I Go.” In addition to his solo career and his work with legendary Texas outfit the Flatlanders, Ely has performed with the likes of Linda Ronstadt, Bruce Springsteen, Lyle Lovett, and countless others.
Listen to Texas Standard's story below: