"Naturally, J.J. Cale" - NYTimes.com By Drew Christie Naturally, J.J. Cale: This animated Op-Doc explores why J.J. Cale, who wrote such classic songs as "After Midnight," "Cocaine" and "Call Me the Breeze," never achieved stardom. This is one of five films commissioned in conjunction with The Times Magazine's The Lives They Lived issue, which commemorates people who died this year. I became fascinated with the music of J.J. Cale, the subject of this Op-Doc, after digging out one of his records from my parents" dusty stacks. His laconic brand of blues-rock was understated and groovy, and every instrument on every song seemed to have been accorded equal weight in the mix. This democratic style required a meticulous sound engineer (one of Cale's first jobs, as it happens) and revealed that beneath his down-home, Tulsa veneer dwelt the spirit of an uncompromising man. Cale sang in a tuneful whisper, mixed no louder than any of the other instruments on his albums, that many critics have described as laid-back. The fact is, Cale was laid-back, even in the face of music-industry pressure. His career spanned five decades with nary a hit, yet he never caved to the pressure to produce a more radio-ready single. He knew his band played tight and sounded hot, so didn't need Billboard to tell him he was a success. "Crazy Mama," from Cale's first album, was his highest-charting record. As my short film shows, he refused to work with the music industry's promotion machine, and so managed to remain obscure even as his songs "After Midnight," "Cocaine" and "Call Me the Breeze" became hits for other artists. Gaining fame and fortune was not worth it to Cale, if it meant compromising his vision, or releasing work that didn't move him. This attitude may have sealed his fate with the recording industry, but his music remains vital and his audience is growing, even after his death this past July. His influence on younger musicians like John Mayer puts us on notice that the J.J. Cale sound isn't going anywhere, whether or not we dig out his records. Drew Christie is an animator, filmmaker and illustrator who lives in Seattle. His previous Op-Docs are "Hi! I'm a Nutria," "Allergy to Originality," "A Thanksgiving Eel," "Drones for America!" and "The Ghost of Gun Control."