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J.J. Cale (born December 5, 1938) is an American songwriter and musician, best known for writing two songs that Eric Clapton made famous, “After Midnight” and “Cocaine” . He is one of many artists that play the Tulsa Sound. This sound draws from country, blues, and jazz, and Cale has indicated, in interviews (most recently on the 2006 film “To Tulsa and Back: On Tour with J.J. Cale”) that this is due to the geography of Tulsa, Oklahoma. The sound develops a kind of shuffle that is evidenced by Cale’s non-pick guitar playing.
Many artists, including Eric Clapton, Mark Knopfler, Neil Young and Brian Ferry, have noted his influence on their music; several artists, Clapton included, have recorded hits of Cale songs — the songs “Call Me the Breeze”, “Sensitive Kind”, and “Cocaine”, have been the most covered. Cale has often noted that he writes and records primarily for the purpose of eventually having other artists to cover them.