J.J. Cale

The Profile

J.J. Cale (John Weldon Cale, 1938–2013) was an American guitarist, singer-songwriter and producer, a key architect of the Tulsa sound. His songs After Midnight, Call Me the Breeze and Cocaine became standards via Eric Clapton and Lynyrd Skynyrd, while he maintained a low profile across a career spanning from the late 1950s to 2013.

Born in Oklahoma City and raised in Tulsa; died in 2013. Changed his stage name to J.J. Cale to avoid confusion with John Cale. Influenced artists including Eric Clapton and Mark Knopfler. Wrote After Midnight, Call Me the Breeze and Cocaine; core albums include Naturally and Troubadour; later collaborated with Eric Clapton on The Road to Escondido and had the posthumous Stay Around released in 2019.

A low-profile master of the Tulsa sound, J.J. Cale is praised for understated songs, sly grooves and impeccable guitar touch. Reviews highlight classics like Naturally, Troubadour and Shades, and later chapters such as Travel-Log, Roll On and the posthumous Stay Around. His songwriting fueled hits for Eric Clapton and Lynyrd Skynyrd. The Clapton duo album draws mixed reactions.