John Weldon Cale was born on 5 December 1938, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma USA, and was a singer, songwriter and guitarist, known as one of the most influential music figures in the history of rock – he originated the Tulsa Sound which draws from several genres. All of his efforts helped put his net worth to where it was prior to his passing in 2013.
How rich was JJ Cale? As of mid-2017, sources estimate a net worth that is at $15 million, earned through his success in the music industry. He wrote numerous songs recorded by himself and many other popular artists; he and Eric Clapton also won a Grammy Award for their joint album “The Road to Escondido”, but all of his achievements ensured the position of his wealth.
J.J. Cale Net Worth $15 million
JJ attended Tulsa Central High School and matriculated in 1956. As he was growing up, he studied playing the guitar as well as sound engineering, and later built his own recording studio. He was then drafted into military service and studied at the Air Force Air Training Command. In the 1960s, he moved to Los Angeles and found work as a studio engineer. He created the demo single called “After Midnight” and then found regular work at Whisky a Go Go, but found very little success as a recording artist and eventually returned to Tulsa to join a band.
In 1970, Eric Clapton then recorded a cover of “After Midnight” for this debut album, and this led Cale to create his own album called “Naturally”, which found a lot of popularity and critical praise, plus his guitar skills were also praised by other artists. He found his biggest hit in the single “Crazy Mama” which was released in 1972 – his net worth started to increase significantly In the early ‘80s he became somewhat reclusive, and the release of his album “#8” found little popularity, being poorly received and he then asked to be released from his recording contract. Documentaries were later made about Cale, including “To Tulsa and Back” in which he recounts the time he started promoting “Crazy Mama”. Later on, his catalogue would be published by Fairwood Music (UK).
While JJ found little success as a recording artist, a lot of his songs would eventually find success as they were covered by many other musicians, including “Cocaine” by Eric Clapton, “Call Me the Breeze” by Lynyrd Skynyrd, and “The Sensitive Kind” by Santana; artists such as Phish, Johnny Rivers, and The Band also covered his songs. In 2014, the tribute album entitled “The Breeze: An Appreciation of JJ Cale” was released by a collaboration called Eric Clapton & Friends, in which JJ’s songs were covered by Clapton and other artists. His contributions to music and for other artists overall certainly helped increase his net worth even further.
For his personal life, it is known that Cale was married to Christine Lakeland until his death, but their date of marriage is unknown. He credited his musical style to being able to make music himself, including with technology that is used by a lot of people now. He passed away in 2013 at the age of 74 after suffering a heart attack while living in La Jolla, California.
Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album, Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album
Movies
10 Days Out: Blues from the Backroads, To Tulsa and Back: On Tour with J.J. Cale, 10 Days Out: Blues from the Backroads, To Tulsa and Back: On Tour with J.J. Cale
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Quote
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I used to write more about sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll. I don't do that quite much as I used to, and it's a little bit more 'old man' philosophy.
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When I sit down and play the guitar, I am 20 years old again.
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I'd like to have the fortune, but I don't care too much about the fame.
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Basically, I'm just a guitar player that figured out I wasn't ever gonna be able to buy dinner with my guitar playing. So I got into songwriting, which is a little more profitable business.
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Fact
1
He changed his name from John Cale to JJ Cale to avoid being confused with John Cale of the Velvet Underground.
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He helped to create the "Tulsa Sound," a genre with blues, rockabilly, country, and jazz influences. He was a former member of the Grand Ole Opry touring company. He also pioneered the use of drum machines.
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Good friend with Eric Clapton. He wrote some of Clapton's solo songs like "After Midnight" and "Cocaine". In 2006 together they released the album "The Road to Escondido", which won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album two years later.
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Was a dedicated lover of animals.
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Grammy Award-winning guitarist and songwriter, known for his bluesy, laid-back style. Wrote a number of songs made famous by Eric Clapton ("Cocaine", "After Midnight", "The Road to Escondido"), as well as others covered by Johnny Cash, Lynyrd Skynyrd ("Call Me the Breeze"), Captain Beefheart and the Allman Brothers.
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Grammy-Award Winning singer, songwriter and musician.
Soundtrack
Title
Year
Status
Character
Master of None
TV Series performer - 1 episode, 2015 writer - 1 episode, 2015
Far Out
2015
writer: "Cocaine"
Ride
2014/I
performer: "Hey Baby" / writer: "Hey Baby"
Transparent
TV Series performer - 1 episode, 2014 writer - 1 episode, 2014
Tammy
2014
writer: "Call Me The Breeze"
Late Night with Seth Meyers
2014
TV Series writer - 1 episode
Cuéntame
2013
TV Series writer - 1 episode
Divorce
TV Series performer - 1 episode, 2013 writer - 1 episode, 2013
Eastbound & Down
2012
TV Series performer - 1 episode
The House I Live In
2012
Documentary performer: "IF YOU'RE EVER IN OKLAHOMA" / writer: "IF YOU'RE EVER IN OKLAHOMA"
United States of Tara
TV Series writer - 2 episodes, 2009 - 2010 performer - 1 episode, 2010