Blaze Foley

Blaze Foley, born as Michael David Fuller in 1949, was a country musician from Arkansas. His stage name was inspired by Red Foley, one of the biggest names of his time. Blaze was a close friend to Townes van Zandt.

Foley’s “If I Could Only Fly” became a hit when covered by Merle Haggard, and John Prine’s version of “Clay Pigeons” was on his Grammy Award winning album Fair and Square.

Blaze was known as the “Duct Tape Messiah”, because he used wear duct tape on the tips of his boots and later on, he even had a duct tape suit to mock country artists who were wearing flashy suits.

After Blaze was shot in 1989, Van Zandt recorded a tribute called Blaze’s Blues. Also Lucinda Williams recorded a tribute to Blaze, called Drunken Angel. Van Zandt’s Marie was recorded on Blaze’s guitar.