and the ocean. But I used to fish a lot in Ten- nessee and Oklahoma.
I get the impression that you enjoy your lack of being a huge star, of being able to walk down the street without being bothered. Yeah. Early on, when I was just a guitar player in a band, I would play with some fa- mous people. Fame can be..…pretty soon you spend all of your money trying to keep pri- vate. When I am at my gig, in some local bar in Cincinnati or whatever, the people that come into the bar say, ‘Oh, that’s JJ.’ They know who I am. But that’s just at my gig, and we’re talking about two or three hundred peo- ple. Everywhere else, I live here in San Diego, and people have no idea that I’m a known songwriter, or care. (Laughs) So, I’m pretty comfortable with my life. I don’t have to dodge anybody, and I kind of like that. I’m only famous at my own gig.
The reason why I bring it up is here you were, in your hometown a couple of months ago, and the mayor of Tulsa de- clares it J.J. Cale Day with a plaque and everything. That was an embarrassing thing. When we booked Cain’s Ballroom it was going to be a big deal. I invited all of my cronies to come play. I put about 15 or 17 players on stage, all the guys that I know there, you know? But right before the gig, at the sound check, we were sitting by the equipment and David Tee- garden’s wife came up to me and said, ‘John, I hope you don’t mind, but the mayor’s pro- claimed today ‘J.J. Cale Day.’ I was embar- rassed because that’s not in my territory here. The mayor couldn’t come so he sent his daughter, and she made a presentation. So, I talked them into not going out and doing the presentation out front, I would do the presen- tation in the dressing room. They had a film crew there, some German guys who are trying
to make a DVD. They taped five shows, started at Cain’s and then went up to Col- orado with me. They got on the bus and inter- viewed everybody. Anyway, the Cain’s thing was a total surprise. There were a lot of peo- ple on my case there because I hadn’t played there in a long time. And I was playing for my home folks who can bust me real quick. (laughs) My Mom and Dad are both gone, but my Mom and Dad would have flipped out about that.
JJ Cale Discography
Studio & live albums 1972 Naturally (A&M/Shelter) 1973 Really (A&M/Shelter) 1974 Okie (A&M/Shelter) 1976 Troubadour (Shelter) 1979 5 (Island/MCA) 1981 Shades (Island/MCA) 1982 Grasshopper (Island/Mercury) 1983 #8 (Mercury) 1990 Travel Log (Silvertone/BMG) 1992 Number 10 1994 Closer to You 1996 Guitar Man 2001 Live (unique live album) 2004 To Tulsa and Back (Blue Note) 2006 The Road to Escondido (with Eric Clapton; won 2008 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album) 2009 Roll On (Rounder)
Singles 1958 "Shock Hop"/"Sneaky" (as Johnny Cale)[12] 1960 "Troubles, Troubles"/"Purple Onion" (as Johnny Cale Quintet)[12] 1961 "Ain't That Lovin You Baby"/"She's My De- sire" (as Johnny Cale Quintet)[12] 1965 "It's A Go Go Place"/"Dick Tracy" (as J.J. Cale), Liberty 55840 1966 "In Our Time"/"Outside Looking In" (as J.J. Cale), Liberty 55881 1966 "After Midnight"/"Slow Motion" (as J.J. Cale), Liberty 55931 1971 "Crazy Mama" (J.J. Cale), from the album Naturally, peaked at #22 on the US single charts on April 8, 1972, and #21 in Canada on April 15 1979 "Katy Kool Lady"/"Juarez Blues", Shelter WIP 6521
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