Don Henley
Donald Hugh Henley (born July 22, 1947) is an American musician, and a founding member of the rock band Eagles, for whom he is the drummer and one of the lead vocalists, as well as the sole continuous member of the band. Henley sang the lead vocals on Eagles songs such as "Witchy Woman", "Desperado", "Best of My Love", "One of These Nights", "Hotel California", "Life in the Fast Lane", "Victim of Love", "The Last Resort", "The Long Run", and "Get Over It".
Don Henley
Donald Hugh Henley
July 22, 1947
Gilmer, Texas, U.S.[1]
Linden, Texas, U.S.
- Musician
- singer
- songwriter
- record producer
- Vocals
- drums
- guitar
1970–present
After the Eagles disbanded in 1980, Henley pursued a solo career and released his debut studio album I Can't Stand Still, in 1982. He has released five studio albums, two compilation albums, and one live DVD. His solo tracks include "Dirty Laundry", "The Boys of Summer", "All She Wants to Do Is Dance", "Sunset Grill", "Not Enough Love in the World", "The End of the Innocence", "The Last Worthless Evening" and "The Heart of the Matter".
The Eagles have sold over 150 million albums worldwide, won six Grammy Awards, had five number one singles, 17 top 40 singles, and six number one albums. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998 and are the highest selling American band in history. As a solo artist, Henley has sold over 10 million albums worldwide, had eight top 40 singles, won two Grammy Awards and five MTV Video Music Awards. Combined with the Eagles and as a solo artist, Henley has released 25 top 40 singles on the US Billboard Hot 100. He has also released seven studio albums with the Eagles and five as a solo artist. In 2008, he was ranked as the 87th greatest singer of all time by Rolling Stone magazine.[2]
Henley has also played a founding role in several environmental and political causes, most notably the Walden Woods Project.[3] From 1994 to 2016, he divided his musical activities between the Eagles and his solo career.
Early life[edit]
Born in Gilmer, Texas, Henley grew up in the small northeast Texas town of Linden.[4][5] He is the son of Hughlene (née McWhorter; 1916–2003) and C. J. Henley (1907–1972),[6] and has Irish, English, and Scottish ancestry. Henley attended Linden-Kildare High School, where he initially played football; due to his relatively small build, his coach suggested that he quit, and he joined the high school band instead. He first played the trombone, then moved to the percussion section.[7]
After graduating from high school in 1965, Henley attended Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, then North Texas State University in Denton from 1967 to 1969. He left school to spend time with his father, who was dying of heart and arterial disease.[8]
Career beginnings[edit]
While still at high school, Henley was asked to join a Dixieland band formed by his childhood friend Richard Bowden's father Elmer, together with another school friend Jerry Surratt. They then formed a band called the Four Speeds.[7][9] In 1964 the band was renamed Felicity and went through a number of changes in band personnel.[10][11] As Felicity they were signed to a local producer and released a Henley-penned song called "Hurtin'".[12] In 1969, they met by chance fellow Texan Kenny Rogers who took an interest in their band. They changed their name to Shiloh and recorded a few songs for Rogers, and "Jennifer (O' My Lady)" was released as their first single.[13]
Surratt died in a dirt bike accident just before their single was released. The band members then became Henley, Richard Bowden and his cousin Michael Bowden, Al Perkins, and Jim Ed Norman. Rogers helped sign the band to Amos Records, and brought the band to Los Angeles in June 1970. They recorded a self-titled album produced by Rogers at Larrabee Studios while living at the home of Rogers for a few months.[14] Shiloh disbanded in 1971 over the band's leadership and creative differences between Henley and Bowden.[15]
In Los Angeles, Henley met Glenn Frey as they were both signed to the same label (Frey was signed to Amos Records, together with J. D. Souther, as the duo Longbranch Pennywhistle), and they were recruited by John Boylan to be members of Linda Ronstadt's backup band for her tour in 1971. Touring with her was the catalyst for forming a group, as Henley and Frey decided to form their own band.[16] They were joined by Randy Meisner and Bernie Leadon who also played in Ronstadt's backing band (the four had, however, played together only once previously, as the band personnel changed) and became the Eagles.[17]
Lawsuits with Geffen Records[edit]
Henley spent many years in legal entanglements with Geffen Records. In January 1993, following prolonged tensions between Henley and the label, the dispute went public and the record company filed a $30 million breach-of-contract suit in California Superior Court after receiving a notice from Henley saying that he was terminating his contract even though he reportedly owed the company two more studio albums and a greatest-hits collection.[43] 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.[43]
Geffen Records claimed that Henley was in breach of contract and Henley attempted to get out of his contract in 1993 based on a 50-year-old California statute. Under the statute, enacted 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 with Sony and EMI that they would not sign Henley. He counter-sued Geffen Records, claiming that he was "blackballed" by David Geffen, who had made agreements with other record labels to not sign him.[43]
Henley eventually became an outspoken advocate for musicians' rights, taking a stand against music labels who he believes 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 Records (whose parent company had also acquired Geffen).[44] Before the Eagles reunion tour could begin, the band had to file a suit against Elektra Records, which had planned to release a new Eagles Greatest Hits album. The band won that battle.[45]
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" for the film Leap of Faith, and provided the background vocals for country star Trisha Yearwood's hit single "Walkaway Joe", and duetted with Patty Smyth on "Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough",[46] and Roger Waters on "Watching TV" on Waters' Amused to Death album, in 1992.[47] Henley provided the voice of Henry Faust in Randy Newman's Faust, a 1993 musical which was released on compact disc that year.[48]
Henley and Courtney Love 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 Artists' Coalition. The coalition's primary aim was to raise money to mount a legal and political battle against the major record labels.[49] 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 Napster case,[50] urging District Judge Marilyn Hall Patel not to accept the industry's broad claims of works made for hire authorship.[51]
Studio albums