NewsBank, inc. Austin American Statesman - 1989 Article with Citation Austin singer Foley shot to death February 2, 1989 by John Harris & Casey Monahan Blaze Foley, an Austin singer-songwriter whose If I Could Only Fly was recorded by Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard, was fatally shot early Wednesday after an argument with the son of a friend. Foley, 39, whose real name was Michael David Fuller, died of a gunshot wound to the left side of his chest. He was shot about 5:30 a.m. in a house at 706 W. Mary St., and died during surgery at Brackenridge Hospital three hours later. Carey January, 39, of 706 W. Mary St. was charged with murder and held on $25,000 bond. Police and friends said Foley had a lingering dispute with January and was a friend of the suspect's father, Concho January, 66, who also lived at the house where the shooting occurred. Police said the cause of the disagreement was unclear. ``It's really a senseless killing," said homicide Sgt. Edward Balagia. "According to witness accounts, they had had some bad blood in the past, but this attack was sort of unprovoked. He was just shot in the living room while he was visiting some friends.'' Foley identified the assailant before he was taken to the hospital, according to Municipal Court records. Police found a .22-caliber rifle in the back yard of the house next door, records said. Foley grew up in West Texas and sang with his mother, brother and sisters in a gospel act called the Fuller Family. He sang in Houston, New Orleans and Austin through the 1970s and '80s, drawing a steady following and wide respect from fellow musicians. "There are so many of his songs that have never been recorded and that we'll never hear again," said musician and friend Kimmie Rhodes. ``He was an exceptional talent, not only as a writer but as a singer. His voice got right to the heart of his essence. It was sensitive and deep, and I loved the sound of it." Foley wrote about 100 songs, friends said. They included Oval Room, Girl Scout Cookies, World War III, Clay Pigeons and If I Could Only Fly. The Nelson-Haggard version of If I Could Only Fly was issued as a single in 1987. A band called The Characters recently released a Foley song in Germany called I Should Have Been Home, said Peggy Underwood, Foley's attorney. Friends said Foley was known for his kind heart and odd creations - such as ``mood rings'' he made of aluminum foil or duct tape he stuck on his clothes. "There's kind of two Blazes," said singer-songwriter Townes Van Zandt, who knew Foley about 10 years. "A lot of people saw one or the other. There was the wild one. . . . And then there was the gentle, loving, caring one. I got to know both." Van Zandt said that aside from his songs, Foley would be remembered for his ``generosity down to his last penny," his wit - and his duct tape. He was unsure how Foley grew attached to duct tape, but said it became his trademark. "He'd get a new pair of shoes and put duct tape (on them) to dress them up,'' Van Zandt said. ``He was a friend of the homeless, poor, elderly, a real super caring guy. And he would sometimes seem bitter, you know. The only reason for that is he was brimming over with so much genuine love and caring. To see an injustice sometimes it would just put him over to a frenzy, kind of. He couldn't stand to see a poor bag lady on the street. It threw him into a rage, almost. It just came from love." Pat MacDonald, a member of the duo Timbuk 3, said Foley ``really cared about people'' and helped plan occasional benefits. He often opened for Timbuk 3, and was an early fan of their shows. ``If it weren't for him, we wouldn't have had anybody at our first Austin gig," MacDonald said. "He told a bunch of people they should come and hear us. Everybody that was there was there because Blaze told them to go." MacDonald also remembered his wit. ``He used to point to the Dumpsters, the BFI Dumpsters, and he used to say the BFI stood for Blaze Foley Inside." Foley was ``really kind of a rare breed and really kind of a lost soul, too," said musician Pat Mears. ``Austin used to have more of them. Blaze just continued to live on the couch circuit. He always stuck with his music and just lived that life.'' Foley released one album, Blaze Foley, issued several years ago. He recorded a live album at the Austin Outhouse on Dec. 18, his 39th birthday, and had another album in the works. A reissue of the first album was also planned. Funeral arrangements were pending. Caption: Blaze Foley was shot after an argument with a friend's son. Copyright: (Copyright 1989)