J.J. Cale mural at Soul City Gastropub lightly vandalized

Someone lightly vandalized the large mural depicting late Tulsa musician J.J. Cale on the side of Soul City Gastropub & Music House in Tulsa, but the owner may not press charges against the offender.

The offense probably should be described as “light” because it’s not obvious. Someone wrote messages on the strings and sound hole of the guitar in the painting.

Here’s a video report by KOKI-TV in Tulsa:

Soul City owner Kevin Smith told the station he may have surveillance-video footage of the vandal’s act. He said he may decline to file charges, but he wants the offender to know such actions aren’t OK.

“I wouldn’t come to your house and write words on the side of your house or paint your house differently. You can’t walk into a museum and add to a piece of art in a museum. I think these murals are just as important as pieces of art in museums,” Smith said.

Looking at several images of the scribblings from the video, it seems to be a heartfelt homage to guitars and/or songwriting — which is why Smith may not be overly indignant by it.

Soul City, at 1621 E. 11th St. in a former gas station, has become a key part of the revitalization of the 11th Street corridor of Route 66 in Tulsa since it opened a few years ago. It’s a restaurant and a live-music venue, and celebrities are spotted there from time to time, including veteran actor (and Tulsa native) Gary Busey a few weeks ago.

Cale, known as one of the originators of the so-called Tulsa Sound, didn’t become as famous as other musicians with Tulsa ties such as Leon Russell and Bob Wills. But several songs, including “After Midnight” and “Cocaine” for Eric Clapton and “Call Me the Breeze” for Lynyrd Skynyrd, became hits or staples for other musicians. And Cale’s economical but rhythmic guitar style proved influential to Clapton, Mark Knopfler and other musicians. Cale died in 2013 at age 74.

(Image of the J.J. Cale mural at Soul City Gastropub by Matt Spade via Flickr)

2 thoughts on “J.J. Cale mural at Soul City Gastropub lightly vandalized

  1. It was once said that the only place from which one could appreciate Paris was the Eifel Tower – it is so ugly. Now had Picasso been able to write on the mural depicting Cale, would that have been vandalism? What if it turns out to be one of the still living Beatles?

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