His best-known tune is "Killing the Blues", which has been covered by John Prine, Chris Smither, Shawn Colvin, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, Shooter Jennings and Billy Ray Cyrus, Lo-Fang and Sean Keane.
There was death and destruction and though I wasn't consciously trying to flee the place or the characters of my town... there was a lot that I wanted to try in my lifetime... [and] I ought to set about it before another "tornado" came along.
[4] Salley's solo album Killing the Blues was recorded on weekends in Vancouver during breaks in filming The Chris Isaak Show in 2004.
After Shawn Colvin recorded "Killing the Blues" in 1994 she wrote, "Larry Campbell from New York told me in 1981 while we were in a band together that I should learn this song by his friend, Roly Salley.
The 24-minute film premiered on PBS station KQED-TV in San Francisco and is described as a celebration of music, art, and the creative choices we all make.
In this documentary based on their letters, Bole-Becker and Salley collaborate with film and video artists, merging original music and visuals into a human interest story honoring the creative spirit.