J.J. Cale

J.J. Cale was an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter from Tulsa, Oklahoma, who played a central role in shaping what became called the Tulsa sound, a laid-back style rooted in blues, rockabilly, country, and jazz. He wrote spare, unhurried songs and played with a quiet precision that made him a major influence on artists like Eric Clapton, Mark Knopfler, and Neil Young, even though he largely avoided the spotlight himself. He died in 2013, leaving behind a catalog that quietly shaped decades of American rock and roots music.