Versatile musician and huge influence on ‘Americana’

Award-winning singer and songwriter JJ Cale, who has died aged 74, was one of the most versatile musicians of his era. He played guitar and spanned music genres from rock ’n’ roll to blues and jazz.

Cale won a Grammy in 2008 for The Road to Escondido, which he recorded with Eric Clapton. While he never attained Clapton's level of stardom, he had a wide-ranging influence, particularly his style of playing the guitar and the songs he wrote for legends.

Neil Young once described him as the best electric guitar player he had ever seen, apart from Jimi Hendrix.

“He wasn’t a flashy guitar player,” said Brent Mason, a performer in Nashville. “He was real soulful. He played with his fingers, not picks.”

Cale wrote many songs that later became hits for top musicians, including After Midnight for Clapton, Call Me The Breeze for Lynyrd Skynyrd and Louisiana Women for Waylon Jennings. He was one of the originators of the Tulsa sound, a type of music that drew from rock, blues, country and jazz. "I consider myself a songwriter . . . I guess the business end is my songs and the fun part is playing the guitar."

Laid-back style
Born in Oklahoma City as John Weldon Cale, he spent the early part of his career in Nashville before moving to Los Angeles in the 1960s. He was known for an easy, laid- back style of music.

“He didn’t seem to follow the pack or chase styles,” guitarist Kenny Vaughan said. Dave Pomeroy, head of the musicians union in Nashville, said: “He never seemed to be a guy who put a lot of effort into being trendy or commercially viable.”

Cale had a huge influence on what is now referred to as “Americana” – a blend of country and folk music that is popular with some younger fans.