Don Henley Biography

When Glenn Frey invited Don Henley to join him as a member of the backup band for Linda Ronstadt, it was only a matter of time before the Eagles would be founded, after Don Henley and Frey discovered Randy Meisner and Bernie Leadon to join them.

The debut album for The Eagles spawned “Witchy Woman,” which Don Henley himself wrote, and “Take It Easy,” both of which were top twenty singles. The group enjoyed success throughout the 1970’s, but in 1980, when Glenn Frey launched his solo career, the Eagles disbanded. The breakup encouraged Don Henley’s decision to launch his own solo career, and “Dirty Laundry” became his first hit single. Building the Perfect Beast, Don Henley’s 1984 solo album, went double platinum and gave him four Top 40 hits, including “All She Wants to Do is Dance” and “The Boys of Summer.” The End of Innocence, Don Henley’s third and triple platinum album, was released in 1989 and for a staggering 148 weeks stayed on the charts.

In 2006, Don Henley appeared on Kenny Roger’s album Water & Bridge with the duet “Calling Me,” and in 2007 Henley performed “Break Each Other’s Hearts Again” with Reba McEntire on her 2007 album, Reba: Duets. In total, Don Henley’s achievements include twenty-five Top 40 singles and a total of eleven albums – four as a solo artist and seven with The Eagles. Rolling Stone ranked Don Henley as the 87th greatest singer of all time in 2008.

In addition to his achievements in the music industry, Don Henley’s extraordinary efforts to preserve Walden Woods, the forest area near David Henry Thoreau’s Walden Pond, have spearheaded a major campaign and environmental movement supported by many of his fellow musicians. Don Henley also co-founded the Caddo Lake Institute in 1993, a non-profit created to provide funding for ecological research and education. The foundation also seeks to protect the wetland areas in Texas where Henley grew up. The foundation has achieved remarkable success in its efforts.

Don Henley continues to perform, record, and tour. Henley was recently recognized with the Trailblazer Award from the Americana Music Honors & Awards in 2015; a year later, he was nominated for a Grammy for his collaborative single, “The High Cost of Living.” Henley’s latest album, Cass Country, arrived in 2015.