Musician J.J. Cale Dead at 74, Penned Eric Clapton Hits "Cocaine" and "After Midnight"

Influential singer-songwriter passes away after suffering a heart attack

By Bruna Nessif Jul 28, 2013 7:45 PMTags
J.J. CaleR. Diamond/WireImage

The music industry lost a creative soul.

Songwriter J.J. Cale, famous for the Eric Clapton hits "Cocaine" and "After Midnight," died Friday night after suffering a heart attack at Scripps Hospital in La Jolla, Calif., according to the musician's website.

He was 74.

"J.J. Cale was loved by fans worldwide for his completely unpretentious and beautiful music," Mike Kappus, president of the Rosebud Agency, told CNN. "He was loved even more dearly by all those he came in contact with as the most real and down-to-earth person we all knew."

Kappus continued, "He was incredibly humble and avoided the spotlight at all costs but will be missed by anyone touched by him directly or indirectly. Luckily, his music lives on."

Along with Clapton's famous singles, Cale was the mastermind behind Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Call Me The Breeze," along with a number of tracks from Santana, The Allman Brothers and Johnny Cash.

He won a Grammy for his 2006 album with Clapton, called The Road to Escondido.

"I remember when I made my first album [1972's Naturally], I was 32 or 33-years-old and I thought I was way too old then," Cale said, according to his bio. "When I see myself doing this at 70, I go, ‘What am I doing, I should be layin' down in a hammock.'"

According to Cale's website, there are no immediate plans for services, however fans can remember his legacy at JJCale.com, rosebudus.com/cale, and in the documentary, To Tulsa And Back.

Additionally, the website states that "donations are not needed but he was a great lover of animals so, if you like, you can remember him with a donation to your favorite local animal shelter."