Credit: Far Out / J. D. Souther
October 21st, 2026 · 9:57pm BST
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.
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 started to come together, there was no excuse for anything subpar.
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, 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.
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 the first day he was there. The chance meeting would provide some opportunity for the young musician who began fraternising with Crosby’s crowd.
Not having anywhere to stay, Frey quickly became friends with JD Souther, who was dating his girlfriend’s 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.
Both had an affinity for writing songs, and it wasn’t 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.
Credit: Far Out / Asylum Records
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.
By the band’s admission, Ronstadt couldn’t have been more accommodating, 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.
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’t interested.
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, “[I] didn’t 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”.
“I wanted to write songs that would outlive me”.
Moreover, he felt the Eagles didn’t need him to fly, and that his presence would not be of benefit to the band, telling Performing Songwriter that he remains “a terrible team player” and always has been.
He elaborated, “[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.”
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.
Despite not being in the band, Souther would be credited as the co-writer of some of the group’s most significant material, helping finish off tracks like ‘Victim of Love’ as well as giving the band their final hit when they recorded a version of his song ‘How Long’ for Long Road Out of Eden.
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.
Following his death in 2024, the Eagles acknowledged that Souther was “a brother, a friend and a brilliant collaborator” to them, who contributed in a “crucial” way as a co-writer on many of their biggest hits.
Ultimately, everything worked out for the best for both pirates. While many aspiring rock stars would be shocked at how much money Souther left on the table, he always maintained that he made the right decision, saying, “I saw that there was something to this introspective songwriting that appear to me…it would just improve my whole world if I tried to write songs that way instead of aiming them at necessarily getting them recorded or performing them or something”.
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