Grammy Award winning singer-songwriter JJ Cale, one of the most versatile musicians of his era who played guitar and spanned music genres from rock 'n' roll to blues and jazz, has died after suffering a heart attack.
Cale, 74, died on Friday (US time) at a hospital in La Jolla, California, according to a statement on his website .. http://www.jjcale.com/ .
"Donations are not needed but he was a great lover of animals so, if you like, you can remember him with a donation to your favourite local animal shelter," the statement said.
Cale won a Grammy in 2008 for The Road to Escondido, which he recorded with singer-songwriter 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 music legends.
In a Vanity Fair interview several years ago, Clapton said Cale was the living person he admired most.
Singer-songwriter Neil Young once said "of all the players I ever heard, it's got to be Hendrix and JJ Cale who are the best electric guitar players".
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, where he flourished.
Known for his easy, laid-back style, he spent more than 50 years making music for Clapton, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Johnny Cash and others.
Cale 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," Cale said in a 2004 video that showcased his performance with Clapton at the Crossroads Guitar Festival.
"He didn't seem to follow the pack or chase styles," said Kenny Vaughan, Nashville-based guitar player for the Fabulous Superlatives group.
"He never seemed to be a guy who put a lot of effort into being trendy or commercially viable."
Dave Pomeroy, a bassist and head of the musicians union in Nashville, said 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.
Market Data 
Markets 
AI
