RIP Joe Gracey

[Brad Bechtel]

Joe Gracey, a seminal figure in the Austin scene, passed away from complications due to cancer.

Here's a recent article on Joe for those who don't know him.

[Herb Steiner]

Very sad, I've known Joe since 1973 or 74. We played together in Alvin Crow and the Pleasant Valley Boys.

We were in NYC in 1977 and fixing to play Carnegie Hall, opening for Mel Tillis and the Oaks, then the Lone Star Cafe. Joe said "y'know, this sore on my tongue is really bothering me." One thing lead to another, surgery after surgery, until he had a radical neck dissection which took his larynx, and part of his esophagus, causing him to breath through a stoma at the base of his throat.

The man was a singer, songwriter, and radio personality. A comparison would be if a lifelong, dedicated steel player had both hands amputated at the peak of his career. Joe was 26 when it hit.

But he lived a fruitful life despite the hardship. Then, after 32 years, the disease came back with a vengeance that ultimately took him.

This is a major loss for the Austin music community.

[Stu Schulman]

So very sad to hear this,my condolences to his family.