 The Oklahoma-born singer-songwriter J.J. Cale pioneered the "Tulsa sound," a combination of blues, rock, jazz and country. Born in 1938, Cale began playing in local clubs as a teenager, later forming his own group called Johnny Cale and the Valentines. In 1959 he moved to Nashville and performed with the Grand Ole Opry for several years, eventually returning to his band in Tulsa. In the mid-'60s Cale moved to Los Angeles, where he became a studio engineer and pursued a solo career, recording the single "After Midnight," which was later made into a hit by Eric Clapton. After a stint with Delaney and Bonnie, Cale formed a psychedelic rock group in 1966 called Leathercoated Minds, which released one album before breaking up. He then returned to Tulsa to work on his solo career in earnest. In 1969 Cale signed to the Shelter label, releasing his debut album Naturally in 1972. Already known thanks to Clapton's cover of "After Midnight," Cale increased his profile as a musician and songwriter with the Top 40 hit "Crazy Mama," a single off the album which was one of the first hits to employ a drum machine. Another LP was released shortly thereafter, called Really. Several more albums followed throughout the 1970s; though the now Nashville-based performer remained basically a cult artist, Cale's songs were popularized by other musicians, including Lynryrd Skynyrd ("Call Me the Breeze"), Eric Clapton (who also covered "Cocaine"), Santana ("The Sensitive Kind"), and Deep Purple ("Magnolia"). In 1979 Cale jumped to MCA, who released 1981's Shades, then moved to Mercury, where he released two low-profile LPs. During the 1980s Cale went on hiatus, returning in 1990 with Travelog. In 1994 Cale signed to Virgin, releasing his most recent album, Guitar Man, in 1996. Cale remains a "songwriter's songwriter" and underground guitar hero.
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