What happened here?
Blaze Foley — born Michael David Fuller on 18 December 1949 — was shot and killed on 1 February 1989 in Austin, Texas, during a confrontation at the home of his friend Concho January. He was 39 years old. He was buried at Live Oak Cemetery in Manchaca, a small community just south of Austin.
Foley spent most of his performing life in Austin's outlaw country and folk scene, playing venues like the Austin Outhouse and the Hole in the Wall. He befriended Townes Van Zandt — who would later write "Blaze's Blues" in his memory — and built a devoted following among musicians while remaining largely unknown to the wider public. He recorded sparingly, slept in trees and on floors, and gave away more songs than he ever committed to tape. His most famous composition, "If I Could Only Fly," was later recorded by Merle Haggard.
In 2018, Ethan Hawke directed Blaze, a feature film based on Foley's life that introduced his story to a wider audience. The renewed interest brought more visitors to his grave and to the Austin spots where he once performed. Among the musicians who consider Foley a touchstone are Lucinda Williams, John Prine, and a new generation of players who discovered him through bootlegs and reissues.
Live Oak Cemetery covers just over 15 acres in Manchaca, shaded by large oak and cedar trees. Foley's grave — Section D, Plot 166 — is modest and sometimes decorated with guitar picks, flowers, and handwritten notes left by visiting fans. The cemetery is open to the public and accessible from Twin Creek Road.
On 14 February 2023, Billy Strings visited the gravesite and played a short set of Foley's songs among the headstones — "I Started Out East," "Home With You," "Ride In Your Big Cadillac," "I Wanna Go Home," and "New Wave Blues." The footage was shared online and is worth watching below.
