International Courant
LOS ANGELES — John David “JD” Souther, a prolific songwriter and musician who helped form the country-rock sound that took root in Southern California within the Seventies together with his collaborations with the Eagles and Linda Ronstadt, has died on the age of 78.
Souther, who labored on a number of the Eagles’ largest hits, together with “Better of My Love,” “James Dean,” “New Child in City” and “Heartache Tonight,” died Tuesday at his dwelling in New Mexico, based on an announcement on his web site.
He additionally labored with James Taylor, Bob Seger, Bonnie Raitt and plenty of extra, and located success as a solo artist. He was set to start a tour with Karla Bonoff in Phoenix on September 24, which has now been canceled.
When he was inducted into the Songwriters Corridor of Fame in 2013, Souther was described as “one of many major architects of the Southern California sound and a serious affect on a technology of songwriters.” He was additionally a lifeblood of the social scene, his girlfriends together with Ronstadt, Joni Mitchell and Stevie Nicks, who recalled him in a 1982 interview with Excessive Instances journal as “very, very, very male chauvinistic and really candy and cute and great, however very Texas.”
Souther was born in Detroit and grew up in Amarillo, Texas. He moved to Los Angeles within the late Sixties, the place he met Glenn Frey, a founding member and guitarist of the Eagles. The 2 started a protracted affiliation, beginning with a band known as Longbranch Pennywhistle. Frey would credit score Souther with introducing him to nation music.
“Our first yr collectively will at all times seem to be yesterday to me,” Souther mentioned in an announcement after Frey died in 2016. “His astonishing capability for the large joke and that sensible groove that lived inside him are with me, even now, on this loss and grief. … The music and the love are indestructible.”
Souther was so near the Eagles that he even appeared on the again cowl of their 1973 album, “Desperado,” with Souther and others reenacting the seize of the legendary Dalton Gang. He described his begin with Frey at The Troubadaour, the favored West Hollywood music membership, as “the best research in songwriting I can think about.”
“So many nice songwriters got here by way of — Laura Nyro, Kris Kristofferson, Randy Newman, Elton John, James Taylor, Tim Hardin, Carole King, Rick Nelson, Joni Mitchell, Neil Younger, Waylon Jennings, Tim Buckley, Gordon Lightfoot, Taj Mahal and extra,” he mentioned in an announcement on his web site. “It appears not possible now to think about a lot music in a yr and a half, however that was my life and the Troubadour was our college.
“It is also the place I met Linda Ronstadt and the place Don Henley and Glenn Frey met to type a bit of country-rock band known as the Eagles, which might go on to make music historical past,” Souther wrote.
On his personal, Souther recorded his self-titled debut in 1972 earlier than forming The Souther-Hillman-Furay Band with former Byrds member Chris Hillman and Poco’s Richie Furay. A second solo effort in 1976, Black Rose, featured a duet with Ronstadt, his former girlfriend, “If You Have Crying Eyes.” Different duets he recorded along with her embody “Prisoner in Disguise,” “Typically You Cannot Win” and “Hearts Towards the Wind,” the latter of which was featured within the 1980 movie City Cowboy.
His largest hit as a solo artist was “You are Solely Lonely”, from the 1979 album of the identical title.
Different songs he wrote embody “Run Like a Thief,” for Bonnie Raitt, and “Faithless Love” and “White Rhythm and Blues” for Ronstadt. He collaborated with and sang with James Taylor on “Her City Too.”
Different artists he labored with as a singer included Don Henley, Christopher Cross, Dan Fogelberg and Roy Orbison.
He appeared as an actor on tv in “thirtysomething”, “Nashville” and “Purgatory” and within the movies “Postcards from the Edge”, “My Woman 2” and “Deadline”.
