The Eagles have paid tribute to their ‘brother and collaborator’ JD Souther following his death at age 78.
The Detroit-born musical artist, who wrote country-rock songs for popular artists including the Hotel California hitmakers and Linda Ronstadt, died at his home in New Mexico, a representative for the Eagles told the Associated Press. Los Angeles Times this week.
The cause and date of Souther’s death were not immediately clear, the outlet reported.
The iconic band released a heartfelt statement reflecting on the loss of their longtime friend.
They wrote: ‘We have lost a brother, a friend and a brilliant collaborator, and the world has lost a great songwriter, a pioneer of the Southern California sound that emerged in the 1970s.
The Eagles paid tribute to their “brother and collaborator” JD Souther following his death at age 78. Pictured in 2018 in New York.
The iconic band released a heartfelt statement reflecting on the loss of their longtime friend (pictured, Vince Gill, Joe Walsh, Timothy B. Schmit and Don Henley in 2018).
‘JD Souther was smart, talented, well-read, and had a great sense of humor. He loved good food, good movies, and a good martini… and he loved dogs, and throughout his life he adopted many.
‘Born in Detroit and raised in the Texas Panhandle, he was a student of the deep roots of the best American music, from country to jazz to classical, as well as the “Standards” of the Great American Songbook, and that knowledge and appreciation informed his work.
‘He was a crucial co-writer on many of our most popular songs, including The Best of My Love, New Kid in Town and Heartache Tonight. JD also collaborated on many of Don Henley’s solo works, including The Heart of the Matter, Little Tin God, If Dirt Were Dollars and Talking to the Moon.
‘We are saddened by his loss and send our condolences to his family, friends and many fans around the world. He was an extraordinary man and will be greatly missed by many.
“Farewell, old friend. Bon voyage. The Eagles.”
Souther, who wrote such Eagles classics as 1976’s “New Kid in Town” and 1979’s “Heartache Tonight” and Ronstadt’s 1974 song “Faithless Love,” was scheduled to begin his tour next week in Phoenix.
Souther, who had her own hit with You’re Only Lonely in 1979, had also written songs for artists such as the Dixie Chicks, James Taylor, Bonnie Raitt and George Strait.
Souther took the stage with Don Henley earlier this year during a January concert at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, California.
Souther had also worked as an actor, appearing in shows such as Nashville and Thirtysomething, as well as films such as Postcards From the Edge, Deadline and My Girl 2.
Souther, who has been nominated for two Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2013, took the stage earlier this year during a January concert at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, California.
On the show, according to the paper, Souther had been praised by Don Henley as one of the “most close-knit community of songwriters and singers.”
Henley said he and his late bandmate Glenn Frey relied on him during creative lulls in the ’70s “when we were stuck on a song or trying to start some new material.”
Henley credited Souther with producing three of the band’s number-one singles.
Souther was born in Detroit and raised in Amarillo, Texas, the newspaper reported.
After getting his start in music as a jazz drummer, Souther began playing guitar and eventually moved to Los Angeles in the late 1960s.
There he met Frye and the duo began performing under the pseudonym Longbranch Pennywhistle, releasing a self-titled album in 1969 before breaking up in 1970.
The Detroit-born musician died at his home in New Mexico, an Eagles representative told the Los Angeles Times. Photographed in Los Angeles in 2020
Souther began performing solo and dating Ronstadt, for whom Frey was a backing vocalist.
Ronstadt’s band would add future Eagles members Henley, guitarist Bernie Leadon, and bassist Randy Meisner, with the fourth breaking off and forming the group.
Southern he told the newspaper in 2008 that music mogul David Geffen (then owner of the Asylum label) “somehow” tried to recruit him for the band.
“I thought about it and we rehearsed a set and played it for David (and Eagles managers) Elliot Roberts and Ron Stone at the Troubadour one afternoon,” Souther told the paper.
He added: “It actually took me a minute to say no, that the band was exceptional and I was very happy to stay home and write. I think they were relieved too.”
Souther began performing in 1973 in the Souther-Hillman-Furay Band with Chris Hillman of The Byrds and Richie Furay of Buffalo Springfield, which released a duo of country-rock records: their 1974 self-titled debut album and 1975’s Trouble in Paradise.
As a solo artist, Souther released albums such as Black Rose in 1976 and You’re Only Lonely in 1979. The album’s title track peaked at number seven on Billboard’s Hot 100 and number one on its adult contemporary chart, marking Souther’s greatest commercial success.
Souther said she slowed down her work after the release of her 1984 album Home by Dawn because of her disenchantment with the music industry’s emphasis on MTV and videos during the decade.
Souther performed alongside James Taylor at the Atlanta Civic Center on May 13, 1981.
Souther photographed on stage at the House of Blues in West Hollywood, California, in 2004
Souther pictured with singer-songwriter Brandy Clark at the Linda Ronstadt Celebration at the Ace Hotel Theatre in Los Angeles on December 11, 2016
Souther had remained professionally active in his later years, as he was scheduled to perform a dozen concert dates through April of next year.
“I wasn’t a big fan of music videos because I thought they encouraged overproduction rather than a real focus on the heart of the music,” he said in a 2012 chat with The New York Times.
Souther helped Henley write the hit The Heart of the Matter in 1989, the year she also made her acting debut in Steven Spielberg’s Always.
Souther had remained professionally active in his later years, as he was scheduled to perform a dozen concert dates through April of next year. according to their website.
He had a show scheduled for Tuesday in Phoenix with singer-songwriter Karla Bonoff, 72, and other shows in California, Washington, Oklahoma, Iowa, Pennsylvania and Texas.
Social media was flooded with tributes to the late musician and actor as news of his passing spread.
Two-time Grammy nominee Stephen Bishop posted on X/Twitter: “I’m deeply saddened to hear of the passing of my friend JD Souther. JD and I share many memories, but one that stands out is when we wrote a song together called For Love in the 1980s.
Bishop continued: “Although we never finished the song, we did make a demo of it and I will always remember that collaboration. JD was an extraordinary talent and his contributions to music are immeasurable. He will be greatly missed, but his legacy will live on in the hearts of those who knew and loved him.”
He ended by saying: “Rest in peace, my friend.”
Social media was flooded with tributes to the late musician and actor when news of his passing spread.
Two-time Grammy nominee Stephen Bishop posted on X/Twitter: “I am deeply saddened to hear of the passing of my friend JD Souther.”
Another user wrote: “RIP JD Souther, although he is not an official member of the Eagles. His impact on the success of the Eagles was immeasurable. A true legend that few people know about!”
One user said: “JD Souther has passed away. Rest in peace sir. His music will live on beyond us.”
Another user said: “Oh my god! JD Souther has died. Oh my god. Among his many songs that made my generation sing along is Faithless Love from Linda Ronstadt’s Heart Like A Wheel album. Beautiful. His harmonies. Ugh!”
One user called Souther “a brilliant songwriter as well as an exceptional singer,” adding, “His ‘You’re Only Lonely’ is a magnificent composition whose melody and lyrics are emotionally moving and hauntingly beautiful.”
One Souther user said: “What a talent and what a voice. I hope you continue singing in some great club in the universe. Thanks for all the songs.”
Souther is survived by a pair of sisters, an ex-wife and his daughter, the newspaper said.
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