J.D. Souther was one of the most important songwriters in the hit catalog of the Eagles, but he was never a member of the band. In an interview in 2021, the country and rock icon weighed in on why he never joined the mega-successful group.
Souther co-wrote some of the Eagles’ biggest hits, including “Best of My Love,” “New Kid in Town,” “How Long,” “Heartache Tonight” and more, but despite his major contributions, he was never an actual member of the Eagles. In an interview in October of 2011, he explained why not.
Souther was in a duo with Eagles mainstay Glenn Frey called Longbranch Pennywhistle prior to the Eagles, and that led into his fruitful collaborations with them over the years. But in an interview with American Songwriter in 2021, he admitted there was one major reason he did not join the band when they formed from the ashes of Linda Ronstadt’s backing group, where they first met.
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“Because I am a terrible team player,” Souther said. “[David] Geffen wanted me in the band. We actually rehearsed a set and played it for him. I remember looking down the stage thinking, ‘Man, this is an awful lot of singers and acoustic guitar players all in the same band.’ I felt, ‘I’m not necessary here.’ And I don’t really like being told what to do in any sense anyway.”
Souther was actually dating Ronstadt at the time, and he would end up contributing heavily to her enormous solo career, as well, including writing “Faithless Love.”
Geffen was disappointed in Souther’s decision to forego the group, but he still had designs on the young singer-songwriter.
“But you’re still going to write with them, right?” Geffen asked.
“Of course,” Souther replied, setting the stage for one of the most fruitful songwriting partnerships in music history.
Souther decided that staying home from the road and writing songs for the Eagles, Ronstadt and himself was the better play.
“Tough choice,” he noted dryly to American Songwriter.
Souther would go on to a career that included not only major hits from the Eagles and Ronstadt, but also cuts from George Strait, the Chicks, Bonnie Raitt and more.
As a solo artist, Souther also landed a No. 1 Adult Contemporary 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.
Souther earned two Grammy nominations over the course of his career, and he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2013.
J.D. Souther died in September of 2024. He was 78 years old. His cause of death is unconfirmed.
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Gallery Credit: Sterling Whitaker
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Gallery Credit: Sterling Whitaker
Sterling Whitaker is a Senior Writer and Senior Editor for Taste of Country. He focuses on celebrity real estate, as well as coverage of Yellowstone and related shows like 1883 and 1923. He’s interviewed cast members including Cole Hauser, Kelly Reilly, Sam Elliott and Harrison Ford, and Whitaker is also known for his in-depth interviews with country legends including Don Henley, Rodney Crowell, Trace Adkins, Ronnie Milsap, Ricky Skaggs and more.