Donald Hugh "Don" Henley (born July 22, 1947, in
GilmerGilmer is also the name of a county in West Virginia.Gilmer is a town in and the county seat of Upshur County, Texas, United States. It is best known for being the birthplace of popular music singer Johnny Mathis. The population was 4,799 at the 2000 census...
,
TexasTexas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
) is an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singerSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
,
songwriterA songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
and
drummerA drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
, best known as a founding member of the Eagles before launching a successful solo career. Henley was the drummer and lead vocalist for the Eagles from 1971–1980, when the band broke up. Henley sings lead vocals on Eagles hits such as "
Witchy Woman"Witchy Woman" is a song written by Don Henley and Bernie Leadon, and recorded by the American rock band Eagles. Released as the second single from the band's debut album Eagles, it reached #9 on the Billboard Pop singles chart and is the only single from the album to feature Henley on lead...
", "
Desperado"Desperado" is a soft rock song by the Eagles, an American rock band, written by group members Glenn Frey and Don Henley. It first appeared on the 1973 album Desperado, and has later appeared on numerous compilation albums although it was not a single....
", "Best Of My Love", "One Of These Nights", "
Hotel California"Hotel California" is the title song from the Eagles' album of the same name and was released as a single in February 1977. It is one of the best-known songs of the album-oriented rock era. Writing credits for the song are shared by Don Felder, Don Henley and Glenn Frey...
", "Life In The Fast Lane", and "The Long Run". He formed one of the most successful songwriting partnerships with
Glenn FreyGlenn Lewis Frey is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and actor, best known as a founding member of the Eagles. Frey formed the Eagles after he met drummer Don Henley in 1970 and the two eventually joined Linda Ronstadt's backup band for her summer tour. The Eagles formed in 1971 and...
.
After the Eagles broke up in 1980, Henley pursued a solo career and released his debut album in 1982. He has released four studio albums, two compilation albums, and one live DVD. His solo hits include "Dirty Laundry", "
The Boys of Summer"The Boys of Summer" is a song by Don Henley, with lyrics written by Henley and music composed by Henley and Mike Campbell, longtime guitarist for Tom Petty. It is the lead track and first single from Henley's 1984 album Building the Perfect Beast. The song's music video won many awards...
", "
All She Wants to Do Is Dance"All She Wants to Do Is Dance" is a 1984 song recorded by Don Henley and became a Billboard Top 10 hit in March 1985, peaking at number 9, and also became his second song to top the Top Rock Tracks chart...
",
"The Heart of the Matter""The Heart of the Matter" is a song recorded by American rock singer Don Henley from his third solo studio album, The End of the Innocence . Written by Henley, Mike Campbell, and J. D...
, "The Last Worthless Evening", "Sunset Grill", "Not Enough Love in the World", "New York Minute" and "
The End of the Innocence"The End of the Innocence" is the lead single and title track from Don Henley's third solo studio album, The End of the Innocence, in 1989. The song was written by Bruce Hornsby, with lyrics added by Henley, and both perform the song live in their respective concerts...
".
The Eagles have sold over 120 million albums worldwide, won six
Grammy AwardA Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
s, had five #1 singles, 17 Top 40 singles, and six #1 albums. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998 and are the biggest selling American band in U.S. history. As a solo artist, Henley has sold over 10 million albums worldwide, had eight Top 40 singles, won two Grammys and five MTV Video Music Awards. Combined with the Eagles and as a solo artist, Henley has released 25 Top 40 singles on the Billboard Hot 100. He has released seven studio albums with the Eagles and four as a solo artist. In 2008, he was ranked the 87th greatest singer of all time by
Rolling StoneRolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine.
Henley has also played a founding role in several environmental and political causes, most notably the Walden Woods Project. Since 1994, he has divided his musical activities between the Eagles and his solo career. He is scheduled to release his fifth studio album in 2011, which will be a country album with covers and originals.
Early life
Henley grew up in the small northeast Texas town of
LindenLinden is a city in Cass County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,256 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Cass County.-Geography:Linden is located at ....
. He initially attended college at
Stephen F. Austin State UniversityStephen F. Austin State University is a public university located in Nacogdoches, Texas, United States. Founded as a teachers' college in 1923, the university was named after one of Texas' founding fathers, Stephen F. Austin. Its campus resides on part of the homestead of another Texas founding...
in
Nacogdoches, TexasNacogdoches is a city in Nacogdoches County, Texas, in the United States. The 2010 census recorded the city's population to be 32,996. It is the county seat of Nacogdoches County and is situated in East Texas. Nacogdoches is a sister city of Natchitoches, Louisiana.Nacogdoches is the home of...
. He then attended
North Texas State UniversityThe University of North Texas is a public institution of higher education and research in Denton. Founded in 1890, UNT is part of the University of North Texas System. As of the fall of 2010, the University of North Texas, Denton campus, had a certified enrollment of 36,067...
(renamed in 1988 as University of North Texas) in
Denton, TexasThe city of Denton is the county seat of Denton County, Texas in the United States. Its population was 119,454 according to the 2010 U.S. Census, making it the eleventh largest city in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex...
, from 1967 to 1969. Henley left school to spend time with his father, who was dying from heart and arterial disease.
In 1970, he moved to
Los AngelesLos Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
to record an album with his early band, Shiloh. Shiloh's album was produced by fellow Texan
Kenny RogersKenneth Donald "Kenny" Rogers is an American singer-songwriter, photographer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur...
. Shortly thereafter, Henley met
Glenn FreyGlenn Lewis Frey is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and actor, best known as a founding member of the Eagles. Frey formed the Eagles after he met drummer Don Henley in 1970 and the two eventually joined Linda Ronstadt's backup band for her summer tour. The Eagles formed in 1971 and...
. They both became members of
Linda RonstadtLinda Ronstadt is an American popular music recording artist. She has earned eleven Grammy Awards, two Academy of Country Music awards, an Emmy Award, an ALMA Award, numerous United States and internationally certified gold, platinum and multiplatinum albums, in addition to Tony Award and Golden...
's backup band. Touring with her was the catalyst for forming the group. As a result, two months later they, along with
Bernie LeadonBernard Mathew "Bernie" Leadon, III is an American musician and songwriter, best known as a founding member of the Eagles. Prior to the Eagles, he was a member of two pioneering and highly influential country rock bands, Dillard & Clark and the Flying Burrito Brothers...
and
Randy MeisnerRandy Herman Meisner is an American musician and songwriter, best known as a founding member of Poco and the Eagles...
, became their own act, Eagles.
Tenure with the Eagles
The Eagles were formed in September 1971, and released their first album in 1972, which contained the hit song "
Take It Easy"Take It Easy" is the title of a song written by Jackson Browne and Glenn Frey, and most famously recorded by the Eagles . It was the band's first single, released on May 1, 1972. It also was the opening track on the band's debut album Eagles and it has become one of their signature songs, included...
." During the band's run, Henley co-wrote (usually with Frey) most of the band's best-known songs.
Henley sang lead vocals on many of the band's popular songs, including "
Desperado"Desperado" is a soft rock song by the Eagles, an American rock band, written by group members Glenn Frey and Don Henley. It first appeared on the 1973 album Desperado, and has later appeared on numerous compilation albums although it was not a single....
", "
Witchy Woman"Witchy Woman" is a song written by Don Henley and Bernie Leadon, and recorded by the American rock band Eagles. Released as the second single from the band's debut album Eagles, it reached #9 on the Billboard Pop singles chart and is the only single from the album to feature Henley on lead...
", "
Best of My Love"Best of My Love" is a song written by Don Henley, Glenn Frey and J.D. Souther. It was originally recorded by the Eagles , and included on their 1974 album On the Border. The band's first Billboard Hot 100 number-one single in March 1975, the song also topped the easy listening chart for one week...
", "
One of These NightsOne of These Nights is the fourth studio album by the Eagles, released in 1975. The record's title song became the group's second #1 single on the Billboard Hot 100, in July of that year. The album released three Top 10 singles, "One Of These Nights", "Lyin' Eyes", and "Take It To The Limit". Those...
", "
Hotel California"Hotel California" is the title song from the Eagles' album of the same name and was released as a single in February 1977. It is one of the best-known songs of the album-oriented rock era. Writing credits for the song are shared by Don Felder, Don Henley and Glenn Frey...
", "
The Long Run"The Long Run" is a song written by Don Henley and Glenn Frey and recorded by the Eagles. The sound of the song is viewed as a tribute to the Stax / Memphis R&B sound...
", "
Life in the Fast Lane"Life in the Fast Lane" is a song written by Joe Walsh, Glenn Frey and Don Henley and recorded by the American rock band Eagles on their 1976 studio album Hotel California...
" and "Wasted Time". The Eagles won numerous Grammy Awards during the 1970s and became one of the most successful rock bands of all time. They are also among the top 5 overall best-selling bands of all time in America and the highest selling American band in U.S. history.
The band broke up in 1980, following a difficult tour and personal tensions that arose during the recording of
The Long RunThe Long Run is the sixth studio album by the Eagles, released in 1979 . This was the first Eagles album not to feature founding member Randy Meisner, who was replaced by Timothy B. Schmit....
. The Eagles subsequently reunited in 1994. Henley continues to tour and record with the Eagles. Their latest album,
Long Road Out of EdenLong Road Out of Eden is the seventh studio album by American rock band Eagles, released in 2007 on Lost Highway Records. Nearly six years in production, Long Road Out of Eden is the first studio album from the Eagles since 1979's The Long Run, and along with the four original tracks on 1994 Hell...
, was released in 2007.
Solo career
Following the breakup of the Eagles, Henley embarked on a solo career. His first solo release, 1982's
I Can't Stand StillI Can't Stand Still is the first solo album by Don Henley, released in 1982 originally on Asylum Records then re-released in 1999 by Warner Bros. Records. The album went gold, reached #24 on the charts, and released three singles, including the huge hit "Dirty Laundry," which reached #3 on the...
, was a moderate seller. The single "Dirty Laundry" was Henley's all-time biggest hit. It reached #3 on Billboard Hot 100 at the beginning of 1983 and earned a Gold-certified single for sales of over a million copies in the US. It was also nominated for a Grammy. Henley and
Stevie NicksStephanie Lynn "Stevie" Nicks is an American singer-songwriter, best known for her work with Fleetwood Mac and an extensive solo career, which collectively have produced over forty Top 50 hits and sold over 140 million albums...
(his girlfriend at the time) had duetted on her Top 10 Pop and Adult Contemporary hit "
Leather and Lace"Leather and Lace" is a song performed by American singers Stevie Nicks and Don Henley. It was released in October 1981 as the second single from Nicks' 1981 solo debut album Bella Donna....
" a year earlier. Henley also contributed "Love Rules" to
Fast Times at Ridgemont HighFast Times at Ridgemont High is a 1982 American coming-of-age teen comedy film written by Cameron Crowe and adapted from his 1981 book of the same name...
s soundtrack.
This was followed in 1984 by
Building the Perfect BeastBuilding the Perfect Beast is the second album by Don Henley, released in 1984. The album became a huge hit for Henley, forming him into a solo star. The album reached #13 on the charts and sold 3 million copies. It also released four Top 40 singles including "The Boys Of Summer" which won Henley...
. A single release, "
The Boys of Summer"The Boys of Summer" is a song by Don Henley, with lyrics written by Henley and music composed by Henley and Mike Campbell, longtime guitarist for Tom Petty. It is the lead track and first single from Henley's 1984 album Building the Perfect Beast. The song's music video won many awards...
", reached No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100. The
music videoA music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for the song was directed by
Jean-Baptiste MondinoJean-Baptiste Mondino is a French fashion photographer and music video director. He has directed music videos for Madonna, David Bowie, Sting, Björk, Neneh Cherry and Les Rita Mitsouko...
and won several
MTV Video Music AwardsAn MTV Video Music Award , is an award presented by the cable channel MTV to honor the best in music videos...
including Best Video of the Year. Henley also won the
Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal PerformanceThe Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance was an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to male recording artists for works containing quality vocal performances in the rock music genre...
for the song. Several other songs on the album, "
All She Wants to Do Is Dance"All She Wants to Do Is Dance" is a 1984 song recorded by Don Henley and became a Billboard Top 10 hit in March 1985, peaking at number 9, and also became his second song to top the Top Rock Tracks chart...
" (No. 9 on Hot 100), "Not Enough Love in the World" (#34) and "
Sunset Grill"Sunset Grill" is a song by Don Henley from his 1984 album Building the Perfect Beast. The song peaked at number 7 on the Billboard Top Rock Tracks chart in January 1985...
" (#22) also received considerable airplay.
Henley's next album, 1989's
The End of the InnocenceReleased in 1989, The End of the Innocence is the third album by Don Henley. It is his best selling album, selling over 6 million copies in the United States, peaking at #8. The album released three Top 40 singles "The End of the Innocence", "The Heart of the Matter", and "The Last Worthless...
, was even more successful. The song "
The End of the Innocence"The End of the Innocence" is the lead single and title track from Don Henley's third solo studio album, The End of the Innocence, in 1989. The song was written by Bruce Hornsby, with lyrics added by Henley, and both perform the song live in their respective concerts...
", a collaboration with
Bruce HornsbyBruce Randall Hornsby is an American singer, pianist, accordion player, and songwriter. Known for the spontaneity and creativity of his live performances, Hornsby draws frequently from classical, jazz, bluegrass, folk, Motown, rock, blues, and jam band musical traditions with his songwriting and...
reached No. 8 as a single. "
The Heart of the Matter"The Heart of the Matter" is a song recorded by American rock singer Don Henley from his third solo studio album, The End of the Innocence . Written by Henley, Mike Campbell, and J. D...
", "
The Last Worthless Evening"The Last Worthless Evening" is a song written by John Corey, Don Henley, and Stan Lynch. It was a single recorded by Don Henley in 1989 which reached #21 on US charts. The song, was included on Henley's third album, The End of the Innocence, in 1989....
" and "
New York Minute"New York Minute" is a song written by Don Henley, Danny Kortchmar, and Jai Winding. Henley originally recorded it for his 1989 album The End of the Innocence. The single was a #5 hit on the U.S...
" were among other songs that gained radio airplay. Henley again won the Best Male Rock Vocal Performance Grammy in 1990 for the album. Also in 1989, Henley made a brief appearance on
MTVMTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
's
UnpluggedMTV Unplugged is a TV series showcasing many popular musical artists usually playing acoustic instruments. The show has received the George Foster Peabody Award and 3 Primetime Emmy nominations among many accolades.-Unplugged:...
series.
In live shows, Henley would play drums and sing simultaneously only on certain Eagles songs. On his solo songs he would either play
electric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
and sing or just sing. Occasionally Eagles songs would get drastic rearrangements, such as "
Hotel California"Hotel California" is the title song from the Eagles' album of the same name and was released as a single in February 1977. It is one of the best-known songs of the album-oriented rock era. Writing credits for the song are shared by Don Felder, Don Henley and Glenn Frey...
" with four
tromboneThe trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
s.
Geffen
Don Henley spent many years in legal entanglements with record company
Geffen RecordsGeffen Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-Beginnings:...
. Following years of tension between Henley and the label, the dispute went public and the record company filed a $30-million breach-of-contract suit in Superior Court after receiving a notice from Henley saying he was terminating his contract even though he reportedly owed the company two more studio albums and a greatest-hits collection. Henley wanted to sign a publishing deal with EMI that would have been worth a few million dollars. Geffen Records stopped this from happening, which in turn upset Henley.
Geffen Records claimed that Henley was in breach of contract and Henley attempted to get out of his contract in 1993 based on an old statute. Under the statute, a California law enacted over 50 years ago to free actors from long-term studio deals, entertainers cannot be forced to work for any company for more than seven years. Geffen Records did not want Henley signing with any other label, and had an agreement from Sony and EMI that they would not sign Henley. Henley counter-sued Geffen Records claiming he was "blackballed" by
David GeffenDavid Geffen is an American record executive, film producer, theatrical producer and philanthropist. Geffen is noted for creating Asylum Records in 1970, Geffen Records in 1980, and DGC Records in 1990...
, who made agreements with other record labels not to sign him. Henley eventually became an outspoken advocate for musicians' rights, taking a stand against music labels whom he feels refuse to pay bands their due royalties. Henley came to terms with Geffen Records when the Eagles reunion took off and the company eventually took a large chunk of the profit from the reunion album. Glenn Frey was also in legal entanglements with his label,
MCA RecordsMCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
(whose parent company had also acquired Geffen). Before the Eagles reunion tour could begin, the band had to file suit against
Elektra RecordsElektra Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group. In 2004, it was consolidated into WMG's Atlantic Records Group. After five years of dormancy, the label was revived by Atlantic in 2009....
, who had planned to release a new Eagles Greatest Hits album. The band won that battle.
Don Henley and
Courtney LoveCourtney Michelle Love is an American rock musician. Love is the lead vocalist, lyricist, and rhythm guitarist for alternative rock band Hole, which she formed in 1989, and is an actress who has moved from bit parts in Alex Cox films to significant and acclaimed roles in The People vs...
testified at a California Senate hearing on that state's contractual laws in Sacramento on September 5, 2001. In 2002 Henley became the head of the Recording Artist's Coalition. The coalition's primary aim was to raise money to mount a legal and political battle against the major record labels. Henley says the group seeks to change the fundamental rules that govern most recording contracts, including copyright ownership, long-term control of intellectual property and unfair accounting practices. This group filed a friend-of-the-court brief in the
NapsterNapster is an online music store and a Best Buy company. It was originally founded as a pioneering peer-to-peer file sharing Internet service that emphasized sharing audio files that were typically digitally encoded music as MP3 format files...
case, urging District Judge
Marilyn Hall PatelMarilyn Hall Patel is an active judge presiding in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. She was Chief District Judge of that jurisdiction from 1997 until 2004, and heard several notable cases during that time....
not to accept the industry's broad claims of works made for hire authorship.
A long period without a new recording followed, as Henley waited out a dispute with his record company while also participating in a 1994 Eagles reunion tour and live album. During the hiatus, Henley recorded a cover of "
Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat"Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat" is a song written by Frank Loesser and published in 1950. The song was introduced in the Broadway musical Guys and Dolls which opened at the 46th Street Theater on November 24, 1950...
" for the film
Leap of FaithLeap of Faith is a 1992 American dramedy film, directed by Richard Pearce and starring Steve Martin, Liam Neeson and Debra Winger. The film is about Jonas Nightengale, a fraudulent Christian faith healer who uses his revival meetings, in Rustwater, Kansas, to bilk believers out of their money.-Plot...
, provided background vocals for country star
Trisha YearwoodPatricia Lynn Yearwood, professionally known as Trisha Yearwood , is an American country music artist. She is best known for her ballads about vulnerable young women from a female perspective that have been described by some music critics as "strong" and "confident."Trisha Yearwood signed with MCA...
's hit single "Walkaway Joe", and duetted with
Patty SmythPatty Smyth is an American rock and roll musician. She first enjoyed mainstream success in 1982 as lead singer of the band Scandal and later scored a solo #2 hit with her song "Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough"...
on "
Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough"Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough" is the title of a 1992 rock ballad performed as a duet by the American singers Patty Smyth and Don Henley.-History:...
" and
Roger WatersGeorge Roger Waters is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. He was a founding member of the progressive rock band Pink Floyd, serving as bassist and co-lead vocalist. Following the departure of bandmate Syd Barrett in 1968, Waters became the band's lyricist, principal songwriter...
on "Watching TV" on Waters'
Amused to DeathAmused to Death is a concept album, and the third studio album by former Pink Floyd bassist Roger Waters. It was released in 1992.The album title was attached to material that Waters began working on during the Radio KAOS tour...
album, in 1992. Henley provided the voice of Henry Faust in
Randy Newman's FaustRandy Newman's Faust is a 1993 musical by American musician and songwriter Randy Newman, who based the work on the classic story of Faust, borrowing elements from the version by Goethe, as well as Milton's Paradise Lost, but updating the story to the modern day, and infusing it with humorous cynicism...
, a 1993 musical which was released on compact disc that year.
Inside Job and recent work
In 2000, after 11 years, Henley released another solo studio recording, Inside Job, containing the single "Taking You Home". He performed songs from the album in a
VH1 StorytellersStorytellers is a television music series produced by the VH1 network.In each episode artists perform in front of a live audience, and tell stories about their music, writing experiences and memories, somewhat similar to MTV Unplugged...
episode in 2000. In 2002 a live DVD entitled Don Henley: Live Inside Job was released. In 2005 Henley opened 10 of
Stevie NicksStephanie Lynn "Stevie" Nicks is an American singer-songwriter, best known for her work with Fleetwood Mac and an extensive solo career, which collectively have produced over forty Top 50 hits and sold over 140 million albums...
' concerts on her Two Voices Tour.
Henley performed duets with
Kenny RogersKenneth Donald "Kenny" Rogers is an American singer-songwriter, photographer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur...
on Rogers' 2006 release Water & Bridges titled "Calling Me" and on Reba McEntire's 2007 album,
Reba: DuetsReba: Duets is the twenty fourth studio album by American country music artist, Reba McEntire. The album was released September 18, 2007 on MCA Nashville Records and September 24, 2007 on Humphead Records in the UK, and was produced by Tony Brown, Dann Huff, McEntire, and Justin Timberlake.Reba:...
, performing "Break Each Other's Hearts Again".
In a 2007 interview with CNN, while discussing the future of the Eagles, Henley indicated he still has plans for more records: "But we all have some solo plans still. I still have a contract with a major label [Warner] for a couple of solo albums."
In January 2011, Henley commenced work on a solo album of country covers featuring special guests.
Ronnie DunnRonnie Gene Dunn is an American country music singer-songwriter, known for being one half of the duo Brooks & Dunn. In 2011, Dunn began working as a solo artist following the breakup of Brooks & Dunn...
from
Brooks & DunnBrooks & Dunn was an American country music duo consisting of Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn, who were both vocalists and songwriters. They were paired by record producer Tim DuBois in 1990. Before the duo's foundation, both members of the duo were solo recording artists...
and
Alison KraussAlison Maria Krauss is an American bluegrass-country singer, songwriter and fiddler. She entered the music industry at an early age, winning local contests by the age of ten and recording for the first time at fourteen. She signed with Rounder Records in 1985 and released her first solo album in...
have recorded a song with Henley for the album.
Political and other causes
In 1990, Henley founded the Walden Woods Project to help protect "
Walden WoodsWalden Pond is a 31-metre-deep lake in Massachusetts . It is in area and around, located in Concord, Massachusetts, in the United States...
" from development. The Thoreau Institute at Walden Woods was started in 1998 to provide for research and education regarding
Henry David ThoreauHenry David Thoreau was an American author, poet, philosopher, abolitionist, naturalist, tax resister, development critic, surveyor, historian, and leading transcendentalist...
. In 1993, a compilation album titled
Common Thread: The Songs of the Eagles- "Take It Easy" :During the music video shoot for his rendition of "Take It Easy", Travis Tritt requested that the 1980 lineup of the Eagles - "Take It Easy" :During the music video shoot for his rendition of "Take It Easy", Travis Tritt requested that the 1980 lineup of the Eagles - "Take It...
was released, with a portion of the royalties from the sales going to the Walden Woods Project. In 2005, he had a fundraiser concert with Elton John and others to buy Brister's Hill, part of Walden Woods, and turn it into a hiking trail.
Henley co-founded the non-profit
Caddo LakeCaddo Lake is a lake and wetland located on the border between Texas and Louisiana, in northern Harrison County and southern Marion County in Texas and western Caddo Parish in Louisiana. The lake is named after the Southeastern culture of Native Americans called Caddoans or Caddo, who lived in...
Institute in 1993 with Dwight K. Shellman to underwrite
ecologicalEcology is the scientific study of the relations that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment. Variables of interest to ecologists include the composition, distribution, amount , number, and changing states of organisms within and among ecosystems...
education and research. As part of the Caddo Lake Coalition, CLI helps protect the Texas
wetlandA wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
where Henley spent much of his childhood. As a result of the Caddo Lake Institute's success in restoring and protecting Caddo Lake's wetlands, Caddo Lake was included as the 13th site in the United States on the Ramsar Convention's list of significant wetlands. The Ramsar Convention is an intergovernmental treaty that provides a framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources.
In 2000, Henley co-founded the
Recording Artists' CoalitionThe Recording Artists' Coalition is an American music industry organization that represents recording artists, and attempts to defend their rights and interests. Compare and contrast with the RIAA, which represents the recording industry...
, a group founded to protect musicians' rights against common music industry business practices. In this role he testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary in 2001 and the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation in 2003.
Henley is not always an idealist. In a March 2001 interview on Charlie Rose, he stated that "rock bands work best as a benevolent dictatorship," with the principal songwriters in a band (in the case of the Eagles, "me and Glenn Frey") being the ones that will likely hold the power.
He has also been a generous donor to political campaigns of Democrats. Henley has always been a supporter of the
Democratic PartyThe Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
.
The Washington PostThe Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
found that since 1978, Henley has donated over $680,000 to political candidates.
During a concert at
Chastain ParkChastain Memorial Park, most commonly called Chastain Park, is the largest city park in Atlanta, Georgia. It is a park located near the northern edge of the city...
in 2005, Henley made known his dislike of then president
George W. BushGeorge Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
to which he received a mixture of mostly cheers with some boos. Several tracks on the 2007 Eagles album
Long Road Out of EdenLong Road Out of Eden is the seventh studio album by American rock band Eagles, released in 2007 on Lost Highway Records. Nearly six years in production, Long Road Out of Eden is the first studio album from the Eagles since 1979's The Long Run, and along with the four original tracks on 1994 Hell...
(including the title track, which Henley co-wrote) are sharply critical of the
Iraq War and other policies of the Bush administration.
Personal life
In the late 1970s, early 1980s, Henley dated
Fleetwood MacFleetwood Mac are a British–American rock band formed in 1967 in London.The only original member present in the band is its eponymous drummer, Mick Fleetwood...
musician
Stevie NicksStephanie Lynn "Stevie" Nicks is an American singer-songwriter, best known for her work with Fleetwood Mac and an extensive solo career, which collectively have produced over forty Top 50 hits and sold over 140 million albums...
. Henley has stated that he believes the Fleetwood Mac song "
Sara"Sara" is a song written by Stevie Nicks and released in an edited 4:37 version by Fleetwood Mac as a single from the 1979 Tusk double LP. The song reached #7 on the U.S. charts, #37 in the UK, #11 in Australia and #2 in Canada...
" is about a child that Nicks conceived and aborted without his knowledge. (Nicks says that the track is about her best friend Sara Recor Fleetwood, the wife of
Mick FleetwoodMichael John Kells "Mick" Fleetwood is a British musician and actor best known for his role as the drummer and namesake of the blues/rock and roll band Fleetwood Mac. His surname, combined with that of John McVie, was the inspiration for the name of the originally Peter Green-led Fleetwood Mac...
, and the effect she had on relationships within the band during 1978.) Henley also had a long term relationship with actress/model and
Bond girlA Bond girl is a character or actress portraying a love interest, of James Bond in a film, novel, or video game. They occasionally have names that are double entendres or puns, such as "Pussy Galore", "Plenty O'Toole", "Xenia Onatopp", or "Holly Goodhead"...
Lois ChilesLois Cleveland Chiles is an American actress and former fashion model known for her role as Dr. Holly Goodhead in the 1979 James Bond film Moonraker.-Early life:...
.
In the early 1980s, Henley was engaged to
Battlestar GalacticaBattlestar Galactica is an American science fiction franchise created by Glen A. Larson. The franchise began with the Battlestar Galactica TV series in 1978, and was followed by a brief sequel TV series in 1980, a line of book adaptations, original novels, comic books, a board game, and video games...
actress
Maren JensenMaren Kawehilani Jensen is a former American model and actress, best known for portraying Athena in the 1970s television series Battlestar Galactica.-Biography:...
. His first solo album (
I Can't Stand StillI Can't Stand Still is the first solo album by Don Henley, released in 1982 originally on Asylum Records then re-released in 1999 by Warner Bros. Records. The album went gold, reached #24 on the charts, and released three singles, including the huge hit "Dirty Laundry," which reached #3 on the...
) is dedicated to Jensen, who also sings harmony vocals on the song "Johnny Can't Read." Henley and Jensen separated in 1986.
In 1995, Henley married Sharon Summerall, a former model from Texas who had lived in Paris and studied art history. Performers at the wedding included
Bruce SpringsteenBruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
, Sting,
Billy JoelWilliam Martin "Billy" Joel is an American musician and pianist, singer-songwriter, and classical composer. Since releasing his first hit song, "Piano Man", in 1973, Joel has become the sixth best-selling recording artist and the third best-selling solo artist in the United States, according to...
,
John FogertyJohn Cameron Fogerty is an American rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist, best known for his time with the swamp rock/roots rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival and as a #1 solo recording artist. Fogerty has a rare distinction of being named on Rolling Stone magazine's list of 100 Greatest...
,
Jackson BrowneJackson Browne is an American singer-songwriter and musician who has sold over 17 million albums in the United States alone....
,
Donna LewisDonna Lewis is a Welsh singer-songwriter and record producer, best known for the 1996 pop hit single "I Love You Always Forever", and the adult contemporary chart-topper "At the Beginning" with Richard Marx. After releasing her second LP Blue Planet, Lewis left Atlantic Records and independently...
,
Sheryl CrowSheryl Suzanne Crow is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, musician, and actress. Her music incorporates elements of rock, folk, hip hop, country and pop...
,
Glenn FreyGlenn Lewis Frey is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and actor, best known as a founding member of the Eagles. Frey formed the Eagles after he met drummer Don Henley in 1970 and the two eventually joined Linda Ronstadt's backup band for her summer tour. The Eagles formed in 1971 and...
, and
Tony BennettTony Bennett is an American singer of popular music, standards, show tunes, and jazz....
. Henley later wrote the song "Everything Is Different Now" from the album Inside Job for Sharon. Sharon has been diagnosed with
multiple sclerosisMultiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease in which the fatty myelin sheaths around the axons of the brain and spinal cord are damaged, leading to demyelination and scarring as well as a broad spectrum of signs and symptoms...
. They have 3 children together, two girls and a boy. Henley also has another child, a daughter, from a previous relationship. His eldest child was born in 1975 near the height of the Eagles fame.
Equipment
Drum WorkshopDrum Workshop is a drum and hardware manufacturing company based in Oxnard, California. Their slogan is "The Drummer's Choice".-History:...
Maple Drums, Natural Finish
- 16 x 22 Bass drum
- 9 x 12 Tom tom
- 10 x 13 Tom tom
- 13 x 16 Floor tom
- 14 x 18 Floor tom
- 14 x 6.5 Ludwig Super Sensitive Snare drum
Various
PaistePaiste, a Swiss manufacturer and designer, is the world's third largest manufacturer of cymbals, gongs, and metal percussion. Paiste is an Estonian/Finnish word which means "shine"...
cymbals custom models
8“ Signature Splash
16“ Signature Crash
18“ Signature Full Crash
16“ Fast Crash
20“ 2002 Ride
14“ 2002 Medium Hi-Hats.
External links