J.D. Souther, the prominent country-rock songwriter who penned hits for acts like Linda Ronstadt and the Eagles, has died. He was 78 years old.

According to the LA Times, a representative for the Eagles confirmed Souther’s death, indicating that he died at his home in New Mexico. No cause or exact date of death was immediately available. Souther’s team also shared his obituary on his Facebook page, writing, “We are sad to share this news with all of you.”

Born in Detroit, Mich., and raised in Amarillo, Texas, Souther moved to Los Angeles in the late 1960s, when he was in his early 20s. There, he began to rise to prominence as one-half of a country rock duo called Longbranch Pennywhistle, which he formed with his friend Glenn Frey.

Their career as band mates was short-lived, but their professional relationship would be lifelong: Frey ultimately became a founding member of the Eagles, with Souther writing some of the band’s biggest hits, including “Best of My Love,” “New Kid in Town,” “How Long,” “Heartache Tonight” and more.

Souther dated Linda Ronstadt early in his career, and also went on to have a long working relationship with her. He co-produced her 1973 album Don’t Cry Now and wrote several songs in her catalog, including her 1974 release, “Faithless Love.” The pair also recorded multiple duets, including “Hearts Against the Wind,” which was featured in the 1980 John Travolta film Urban Cowboy.

Other songs written by Souther were recorded by George Strait, James Taylor, the Chicks, Bonnie Raitt and more.

In addition to his songwriting career, Souther intermittently pursued a career as a recording artist, with moderate success. He scored a No. 1 Adult Contemporary solo hit with “You’re Only Lonely” in 1979, and followed it up with “Her Town Too,” a duet with James Taylor that reached No. 5 in Adult Contemporary and No. 11 on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 in 1980.

He was also an actor, and played the role of Watty White in the country music-focused TV drama series Nashville.

Souther was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2013, and he earned two Grammy nominations over the course of his career.

He remained active in his career up until his death. Souther had several tour dates on his calendar for 2024 and 2025, including a series of concerts with singer-songwriter Karla Bonoff.