Eagles, Don Felder Pay Tribute to J.D. Souther
The Eagles and former Eagles guitarist Don Felder shared tributes to J.D. Souther, who died on Tuesday (Sept. 17) at age 78.
The Eagles shared a joint statement via their website, which began, “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. J.D. Souther was smart, talented, well-read, and in possession of a wicked sense of humor. He loved a good meal, a good movie, and a good Martini … and he loved dogs, adopting many, over the course of his lifetime.”
They continued, “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 ‘Standards’ from 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.’ J.D. 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.‘”
The Eagles concluded, “We mourn his loss and we send our condolences to his family, his friends, and his many fans around the world. He was an extraordinary man and will be greatly missed by many. Adios, old friend. Travel well.”
Meanwhile, Felder shared his tribute via Instagram and wrote, “It is with heavy heart to start the day with the news of JD’s passing. The invisible Eagle has left the nest. His writing contribution and vocal contributions to the music industry has been a blessing to the whole world. He will be missed but his songs will live on forever. Rest in peace my friend.”
While Souther wasn’t a “rock star” in the traditional sense, his songwriting credits earned him plenty of royalties. He touched on that in an interview with the Creative Independent (h/t Variety). Souther said people would often ask him if he was annoyed with the Eagles because of the success they gained off of his songs. He would then make a quip about the size of the royalty checks he receives.
Souther noted, “Even Glenn Frey once said — and he was kind of joking because he knows how the royalty thing works — but he said, ‘One of the reasons JD didn’t have a bigger solo career is because he gave us or Linda Ronstadt most of his best songs.’ And that’s sort of true. The closest I got to being really famous was during the ‘You’re Only Lonely’ period, and I really didn’t like it that much, frankly. It’s a relief in some ways, though it also doesn’t pay quite as well.”
