Eagles dedicate ‘Heartache Tonight’ to late collaborator JD Souther at first Sphere show

22 September, 2024

Don Henley of The Eagles. CREDIT: Simone Joyner/Getty Images

Eagles paid tribute to their late collaborator JD Souther with a dedication of ‘Heartache Tonight’ during the first night of their Las Vegas Sphere residency.

JD Souther, an American singer-songwriter and actor, died earlier this week at the age of 78. His death was first confirmed by a representative for the Eagles, who told the Los Angeles Times that he died “peacefully” in his home in New Mexico.

The band shared a tribute to Souther on Thursday (September 19) via their website, writing: “We have lost a brother, a friend and a brilliant collaborator, and the world has lost a great songwriter, a pioneer of the Southern California sound that emerged in the 1970s.”

Now, they’ve dedicated an emotional rendition of ‘Heartache Tonight’ to Souther, who co-wrote the 1979 track. They played the song during the first performance of their residency at the Nevada megavenue on Friday (September 20).

“I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge a couple of people,” Don Henley told the audience before playing the song, which was the final one of the evening. “I want to acknowledge the co-writer of that song who we lost three days ago, Mr. J.D. Souther. J.D. is someone you may know played a pivotal role in the Eagles. He wasn’t in the band but he certainly co-wrote some of our biggest hits.”

Henley also paid tribute to songwriter Jimmy Buffett, who died last year aged 76. “Sing it so they can hear you,” he said.

Watch the fan-recorded footage below:

Guitarist Joe Walsh shared his own tribute to Souther on Friday, shortly before they took to the stage in Las Vegas. “My friend, my brother and favorite partner in room-trashing, JD co-wrote the songs that mapped the Eagles’ flights. Godspeed. Time to go home,” he wrote on Instagram.

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Souther was best known for co-writing two hit songs for the Eagles – ‘New Kid In Town’ and ‘Heartache Tonight’ – as well as Linda Ronstadt’s ‘Faithless Love’. As a singer, his biggest hit was the 1979 song ‘You’re Only Lonely’.

Besides ‘New Kid In Town’ and ‘Heartache Tonight’, Souther had also co-written numerous compositions for the Eagles including ‘Best Of My Love’, ‘Victim Of Love’, ‘James Dean’, ‘Doolin-Dalton’, ‘The Sad Cafe’, ‘You Never Cry Like A Lover’, ‘Teenage Jail’ and ‘Last Good Time In Town’. He also had a close working relationship with Eagles frontman Don Henley, co-writing several songs for his solo albums including ‘The Heart Of The Matter’.

Other names that Souther had written songs for include Bonnie Raitt, James Taylor, George Strait and the Dixie Chicks. As a solo musician, Souther wrote and released eight studio albums, most recently sharing the 2015 record ‘Tenderness’. In 2013, Souther was inducted into the Songwriters Hall Of Fame.

JD Souther. Credit: Earl Gibson III/Getty Images

Eagles residency at The Sphere will take place over weekends in September, October, November and December, before wrapping up on Saturday January 25. You can find any remaining tickets here.

They’ll be the fourth band to take on the Sphere’s colossal, state-of-the-art stage, following in the footsteps of U2, Phish and Dead & Company, whose current residency wraps up on August 10.