Joe Ely started out as a rebel in Texas music and eventually became one of the Lone Star State's most respected elder statesmen, all without changing his outlook that much. Ely's music runs the gamut from acoustic balladry to high-energy blues, rockabilly, and honky tonk swing; whatever he sings, the common thread is his gift for telling a real and relatable story He's a veteran of the Texas singer/songwriter community, and was a member of one of the scene's formative groups, the Flatlanders. In a catalog that spans six decades, 1978's Honky Tonk Masquerade is among the best of his early hard country sessions, 1980's Live Shots (recorded while touring with the Clash) is his strongest rock & roll album, 1995's Letter to Laredo is a beautifully evocative acoustic effort, and 2022's Flatland Lullaby gave a public hearing to a gentle private session from the '80s.