Don Henley Biography
Donald Hugh Henley, 22 July 1947, Gilmer, Texas, USA. Drummer and vocalist Henley entered music as a member of the Four Speeds and Felicity, the latter of which became known as Shiloh on moving to Los Angeles, California, in 1969. This country rock unit completed an album under the aegis of producer Kenny Rogers, but split up when Henley joined Linda Ronstadt's touring band. This group, in turn, formed the basis for the Eagles, which became one of America's most popular acts during the 70s. Henley's distinctive voice took lead on the bulk of their best-known songs, many of which he also co-composed. He enjoyed his first taste of single chart success without the Eagles when a duet recorded with Stevie Nicks, "Leather And Lace', reached the US Top 10 in 1981. Although surprised when the Eagles" problems led to a permanent break, Henley shook off its legacy with the excellent I Can't Stand Still. A songwriting partnership with guitarist Danny Kortchmar resulted in several strong compositions, notably the acerbic "Dirty Laundry" which reached US number 3 in 1982. A second set, Building The Perfect Beast, proved highly popular, attaining platinum status in 1985 and spawning two US Top 10 singles in "The Boys Of Summer" and "All She Wants To Do Is Dance".
Henley's skill as a perceptive songwriter was enhanced by the release of The End Of The Innocence, which underlined the artist's ever maturing skills. Henley enjoyed his biggest singles success to date in 1992 when his duet with Patty Smyth, "Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough", spent several weeks at US number 2. He was back with the Eagles in 1994 showing that the passage of time had not diminished their extraordinary popularity. Five years later Henley was in the headlines once more, orchestrating a campaign against the "work for hire" amendment to the Copyright Act which made record companies the sole owners of an artist's work in perpetuity. The issue was also addressed on the title track of his disappointing Warner Brothers Records debut, Inside Job.
Source: The Encyclopedia of Popular Music by Colin Larkin. Licensed from Muze.
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