Interview with Jay Boy Adams conducted by Charles “Chuck” Luck and Abi Avitia Compiled and written by Stacy Keith When Jay Boy Adams rolled into Lubbock on the day the infamous 1970 tornado struck (May 11), he stepped into a vibrant creative underground that would reshape Texas music history. In a candid remembrance, Adams
Trading Pizzas and Passing Torches: Jay Boy Adams Remembers Joe Ely Read More »
Reflections by: Bruce Jaggers, Steve Moss and Roy Pierce Interviews conducted by: Charles “Chuck” Luck and Abi Avitia Compiled by: Stacy Keith Long before Joe Ely became a name known far beyond Texas, he helped shape the sound and spirit of Lubbock’s live music scene. In the 1970s and early 1980s, Ely was not simply
Joe Ely in Lubbock: The Clubs, the Crowds, and the Making of a Legend Read More »
Lloyd Maines’ Reflections on his friend and bandmate. Interview by Charles “Chuck” Luck and Abi Avitia Compiled by Stacy Keith Joe Ely was the kind of artist who didn’t just perform music—he created a force around him. According to Lloyd Maines, Joe’s originality, magnetic stage presence, and unwavering commitment to his own sound made him
Joe Ely: The Original Who Never Tried to Be Anyone Else Read More »
Submitted by the Lubbock Symphony Orchestra Picture a week in Lubbock. Thursday or Friday morning, you’re digging through the antique shops on 34th Street or downtown, looking for something you didn’t know you needed. Maybe you play a round at one of the city’s golf courses before the heat sets in. By the afternoon, you’ve
Lubbock Symphony Orchestra: Experience 80 Years in a Weekend Read More »
Reflections by Jimmie Dale Gilmore on Joe Ely. Interview conducted by: Charles “Chuck” Luck and Abi Avitia Transcribed by: Madilyn Ellerbrook and Compiled by: Stacy Keith Before Americana had a name, three friends from Lubbock were already sketching its future in dust, harmony, and restless imagination. Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Joe Ely, and Butch Hancock
Joe Ely, The Flatlanders, and the Sound of West Texas Read More »
Compiled by Stacy Keith/ Interview conducted by Chuck Luck and Abi Avitia Cary Banks remembers Joe Ely as a rare kind of artist: charismatic onstage, quiet offstage, and always full of a kind of energy that seemed to spark the room the moment he walked in. Cary knew him through the tight knit West Texas
Lubbock lost a favorite son on December 15, 2025. Singer, songwriter, guitarist, and performer extraordinaire Joe Ely passed away. Ely is one of those musicians who grew up and began performing in Lubbock. As his career took off, he performed with the likes of ZZ Top, The Clash, Bruce Springsteen, Bobby Keys, Jesse “Guitar” Taylor,
From Lubbock to the World: Joe Ely’s Place in a Musical Legacy Read More »
By Abi Avitia-Lopez Music is a moment captured, recorded, and replayed. Drop the needle, spin a tune, and stories surface again and again. Lubbock has a rich musical presence that has influenced far beyond West Texas. From live venues and recording studios to school programs and DIY scenes, sound has long been part of the
Spinning and Forever Living: Lubbock Vinyl Shops Read More »
By: Stacy Keith, Director There are people in the world who leave a legacy and make an impact. Lubbock has held many of those people and one of them was Doug Smith. Smith was a composer and pianist, and his song “West Texas” has charmed audiences for many years at the Omni Theater in the
“A Legacy in Every Note: The Lubbock Civic Orchestra Remembers Doug Smith” Read More »
By Jonny Verbeten The Lubbock Cultural Arts Foundation (LCAF) is celebrating its fifth anniversary on Saturday, September 6, with a “Hi 5 Celebration” that is free and open to the public. Taking place at the Hollingsworth Cultural Center at 42nd and Boston from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., the day’s schedule will highlight the many
Jay Sueños: Getting the Gig Alumni Spotlight Read More »
