Michael David Fuller (December 18, 1949 – February 1, 1989), better known by his stage name Blaze Foley, was an American country music singer-songwriter, poet, and artist active in Austin, Texas.
Background
Foley was born Michael David Fuller in Malvern, Arkansas on December 18, 1949. He grew up in San Antonio, Texas and performed in a gospel band called The Singing Fuller Family with his mother, brother, and sisters. As a child, Blaze contracted polio, and as a consequence, one of his legs was shorter than the other, causing him to drag his foot while walking. He was nicknamed "Deputy Dawg" early in his career. In the spring of 1975, he was living in a small artists' community just outside Whitesburg, Georgia when he met Sybil Rosen. Rosen and Foley were in a relationship and decided to leave the artist community together to support his music. He went on the road and performed in Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, and, finally, Austin, Texas. Together, they ended up in Austin. Foley tried to get into songwriting, but after the move, he experienced a lot of career pressure. Foley started drinking more and the bar scene complicated his relationship with Rosen, which eventually ended.
Foley was close friends with Townes Van Zandt and was greatly influenced by him. Foley's stage name was inspired by his admiration of musician Red Foley and the stripper and burlesque performer Blaze Starr.
Music and lyrics
The master tapes from his first studio album were confiscated by the DEA when the album's executive producer was caught in a drug bust. Another studio album disappeared when the master copies were stolen along with his belongings from a station wagon that Foley had been given and lived in. A third studio album, Wanted More Dead Than Alive, was thought to have disappeared until, many years after Foley died, a friend who was cleaning out his car discovered what sounded like the Bee Creek recording sessions on which he and other musicians had performed. This was Foley's last studio album, and he was scheduled to tour the UK with Townes Van Zandt in support of the album. When Foley died, his attorney immediately nullified the recording contract and the master tapes subsequently disappeared, reportedly having been lost in a flood.
Foley also worked with Gurf Morlix, Guy Schwartz, Billy Block, Calvin Russell, B.W. Stevenson, and others.
Death and legacy
On February 1, 1989, Foley was at a house in the Bouldin Creek neighborhood of Austin, Texas when he was shot in the chest and killed by Carey January, the son of Foley's friend Concho January. Foley had confronted Carey January accusing him of stealing his father's veteran pension and welfare checks. Carey January was acquitted of first-degree murder by reason of self-defense. He and his father presented completely different versions of the shooting at trial. Concho January, who has since died, liked to drink and proved an unreliable witness even though he tried to testify against his son.
At his funeral, Foley's casket was coated with duct tape by his friends. Townes Van Zandt told a story where he and his musicians went to Foley's grave to dig up his body because they wanted the pawn ticket that Foley had for Van Zandt's guitar.
Film and television
Foley's music is featured prominently in a feature-length documentary film about him entitled Blaze Foley: Duct Tape Messiah, released in 2011 by filmmaker Kevin Triplett.
Foley's song "Let Me Ride in Your Big Cadillac" featured prominently at the end of the 8th episode (July 2016) of the first season of the television show Preacher.
"Cold, Cold World" is featured in the 4th episode of Season 5 of The Mentalist, aired in October 2012.
In 2016 his song "Clay Pigeons" featured on the soundtrack of the movie Homestate.
In January 2018, Blaze, a biographical drama directed by Ethan Hawke, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. The screenplay was adapted by Hawke from the novel Living in the Woods in a Tree: Remembering Blaze by Sybil Rosen. The film stars musician Ben Dickey as Foley, Alia Shawkat as Sybil Rosen, and Charlie Sexton as Townes Van Zandt.
Season 1 Episode 8 of Mike Judge Presents: Tales from the Tour Bus premiered on November 10, 2017, featuring stories about Foley.
Music
Townes Van Zandt wrote the 1990 song "Blaze's Blues" about his friend and first released it on his 1991 live album Rain on a Conga Drum - Live in Berlin. He re-released it multiple times, notably on his two-disc album Live at Union Chapel, London, England.
Lucinda Williams wrote a Foley tribute song titled "Drunken Angel" for her 1998 album Car Wheels on a Gravel Road.