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Credit: Far Out \/ J. D. Souther<\/p>\n
October 21st, 2026 \u00b7 9:57pm BST <\/p>\n
Bands are usually formed in one of two ways. The first involves a group of childhood friends picking up instruments and making a racket together, hoping their music might offer an escape from the boredom of everyday life, their hometown, or both.<\/p>\n
The other option is a group of solo musicians who see kindred spirits in one another or, at the very least, an opportunity to create something great with a like-minded creative. The latter are usually the more talented musicians. When the Eagles<\/a> started to come together, there was no excuse for anything subpar.<\/p>\n Having gone through the road warrior circuit in Los Angeles, Glenn Frey and Don Henley were looking to put together the ultimate California rock act<\/a>, making songs as relatable as they were catchy, setting the sky as the limit. Although every band member had a signature sound they brought to the table, one of the foundational pieces of their sound would reject an invitation to join.<\/p>\n Before Frey or Henley had arrived in California, though, they were already making ends meet on opposite sides of the US. Born and raised in Detroit, Frey was known for playing in various bands in his spare time before working up the courage to travel West, initially running into David Crosby<\/a> the first day he was there. The chance meeting would provide some opportunity for the young musician who began fraternising with Crosby\u2019s crowd.<\/p>\n Not having anywhere to stay, Frey quickly became friends with JD Souther, who was dating his girlfriend\u2019s sister at the time. Sometimes, in the history of rock and roll, a chance meeting blossoms into a grand friendship, and this was one of those moments of serendipity that would change the course of their lives.<\/p>\n Both had an affinity for writing songs, and it wasn\u2019t long before they decided to put a group together. Working under the name Longbranch\/Pennywhistle, the duo played various gigs around town before Frey got to work with singer Linda Ronstadt.<\/p>\n Sitting behind the drums from Ronstadt was Henley, who had been making a name for himself in the band Shiloh out of Texas. After both of them started to gel, they started to baulk at the idea of putting together a supergroup just to back up Ronstadt, electing to leave the band so they could make something on their own.<\/p>\n By the band\u2019s admission, Ronstadt couldn\u2019t have been more accommodating<\/a>, even suggesting they hire Bernie Leadon on guitar thanks to his work with Gram Parsons. Rounding out the lineup with Randy Meisner from the band Poco, Souther would have the opportunity to join the band on guitar, only to turn down the opportunity.<\/p>\n While at the time, nobody knew just how destined for greatness the Eagles were, it was clear they had the talent in their ranks to go right to the top, and nothing was off-limits. This was as close to a guarantee as imaginable of getting into a successful band from the ground up, yet Souther wasn\u2019t interested.<\/p>\n Instead of living the life of a rock star, Souther was more interested in making songs that would resonate long after he was gone, explaining in Life in the Fast Lane, \u201c[I] didn\u2019t think much in terms of my career. I had just as much respect for The Gershwins and Cole Porter as I did for Hank Williams and Graham Nash\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cI wanted to write songs that would outlive me\u201d.<\/p>\n Moreover, he felt the Eagles didn\u2019t need him to fly, and that his presence would not be of benefit to the band, telling Performing Songwriter that he remains \u201ca terrible team player\u201d and always has been. <\/p>\n He elaborated, \u201c[<\/a>David] Geffen wanted me in the band<\/a>. We actually rehearsed a set and played it for him. I remember looking down the stage thinking, \u2018Man, this is an awful lot of singers and acoustic guitar players all in the same band.\u2019 I felt, \u2018I\u2019m not necessary here.\u2019 And I don\u2019t really like being told what to do in any sense anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n As Souther watched from the sidelines, though, he would eventually start making his solo work alongside the Eagles, coming up with songs that Frey would help him finish occasionally. <\/p>\n Despite not being in the band, Souther would be credited as the co-writer of some of the group\u2019s most significant material, helping finish off tracks like \u2018Victim of Love\u2019 as well as giving the band their final hit when they recorded a version of his song \u2018How Long\u2019 for Long Road Out of Eden<\/a>.<\/p>\n Souther also hit the road with them in 2008 for their supposed farewell tour, and essentially, was an honorary member of the band, even though he rejected their advances all those decades prior.<\/p>\n![\"Eagles](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Eagles-1975-Far-Out-Magazine-1024x768.jpg\")
<\/a>Credit: Far Out \/ Asylum Records<\/p>\n
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<\/a> The Far Out Classic Rock Newsletter<\/p>\n