Joe Ely Dead<\/span><\/p> Among those were acts including Bruce Springsteen<\/a>, the Rolling Stones<\/a>, Linda Ronstadt<\/a>, Lyle Lovett<\/a>, Uncle Tupelo and Guy Clark.<\/p>\n In the ’90s, he earned a CMA Awards nomination for his work with a short-lived super-group he formed with John Prine<\/a>, John Mellencamp and James McMurtry, called Buzzin’ Cousins. His collective Los Super Seven also won a Grammy for Best Mexican\/Mexican-American Album in 1999.<\/p>\n Ely received the one-year designation of “Texas State Musician” in 2016, and he was inducted into the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame in 2022.<\/p>\n READ MORE<\/em>: Country Artists Who Are Living With Chronic Illnesses<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n After his death, the Country Music Hall of Fame remembered the singer-songwriter in a statement.<\/p>\n Joe Ely Dead<\/span><\/p> “Joe Ely performed American roots music with the fervor of a true believer who knew music could transport souls,” CEO Kyle Young wrote. “His distinctive musical style could only have emerged from Texas, with its southwestern blend of honky tonk, rock & roll, roadhouse blues, Western swing and conjunto.”<\/p>\n Ely announced that he’d been diagnosed with Lewy body dementia and Parkinson’s disease in September 2025, just a few months before his death.<\/p>\n “Music has been my salvation through all of this,” he said in an interview with the\u00a0Austin American-Statesman<\/a><\/em>. “I still get joy from singing and playing. That’s what keeps me going.”<\/p>\n Joe Ely is one of several legends that the country music community lost this year. Keep reading to remember the other stars who died in 2025.<\/p>\n We’re not even six months into 2025, and already country music has suffered some devastating losses.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Gallery Credit: Sterling Whitaker<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nWhat Accolades Did Joe Ely Win During His Career?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
When Did Joe Ely Announce His Illness?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Country Stars Who Have Died in 2025<\/h2>\n