Don Henley has been a major part of the Eagles, but the singer songwriter drummer has certainly also had a reputable solo career worth noticing.
But how did Don get to be such an epic drummer and musician? In 1963, his mother reportedly purchased a drum set for him after he pulled a childhood stunt in which he blew up the family washing machine with a cherry bomb. Yes, that’s right, she rewarded him for blowing up a washing machine.
1982 must have been a popular year for the Eagles band members producing solo albums, as Henley’s solo debut just so happened to debut at the same time as Eagles bandmate Glenn Frey.
Danny Kortchmar, who co-wrote songs like “Dirty Laundry” with Henley, said Don would drive around in his car and listen to the music, formulating lyrics for the song in his head. He’d come back to the studio with lots of ideas.
His solo hits include “Dirty Laundry”, “The Boys of Summer”, “All She Wants to Do Is Dance”, “The Heart of the Matter”, “The Last Worthless Evening”, “Sunset Grill”, “Not Enough Love in the World”, and “The End of the Innocence”.
While Don’s debut album was a smash success, the length of time before he could produce another set of records was quite long into the 90s. Record company Geffen had a dispute with Henley that prevented him from making any new solo releases for nearly 11 years.
In addition to his squabbles with his record company, Mr. Henley has also been no stranger to run-ins with the law. He was arrested in 1980 in LA and charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor when paramedics were called to his home to save a naked 16 year old girl overdosing on cocaine and Quaaludes. He went to drug counseling, paid a fine, and ended up on two years probation.
Don is still actively creating solo material, while also continuing to tour in 2020 with the remaining members of the Eagles.
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