Eagles pay tribute to J.D. Souther, co-writer of New Kid In Town and Heartache Tonight
· louderBy Fraser Lewry
( Classic Rock )
published 19 September 2024
Songwriter and actor J.D. Souther has died at the age of 78, just days before he was due to go on tour
The Eagles have paid tribute to songwriter and actor J.D. Souther, who has died at the age of 78. Souther, who co-wrote several songs with the band, died peacefully at home in New Mexico, just days before he was due to embark on a US tour with singer-songwriter Karla Bonoff.
"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," wrote the Eagles. "J.D. Souther was smart, talented, well-read, and in possession of a wicked sense of humour. He loved a good meal, a good movie, and a good Martini ... and he loved dogs, adopting many, over the course of his lifetime.
"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.
"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."
In addition to writing with The Eagles, Souther co-wrote several songs with Linda Ronstadt and worked with the likes of Christopher Cross, Dan Fogelberg, Bonnie Raitt, James Taylor, Roy Orbison, Clannad and more.
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He was also one half of Glenn Frey's pre-Eagles country-rock duo Longbranch Pennywhistle, and a member of the Souther-Hillman-Furay Band, a supergroup put together at the behest of David Geffen. Souther's biggest solo success was the single You're Only Lone, which reached the US Top 10 in 1977.
As an actor, Souther's roles included the character of John Dunaway in the TV drama Thirtysomething, and a recurring role as record producer Watty Wyatt in Nashville.
Online Editor at Louder/Classic Rock magazine since 2014. 38 years in music industry, online for 25. Also bylines for: Metal Hammer, Prog Magazine, The Word Magazine, The Guardian, The New Statesman, Saga, Music365. Former Head of Music at Xfm Radio, A&R at Fiction Records, early blogger, ex-roadie, published author. Once appeared in a Cure video dressed as a cowboy, and thinks any situation can be improved by the introduction of cats. Favourite Serbian trumpeter: Dejan Petrović.
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