Eagles pay tribute to “extraordinary” late collaborator JD Souther: “We have lost a brother”

Eagles have paid tribute to their late collaborator and songwriter JD Souther – see what the band had to say below.

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.

Now, the band have shared a statement honouring Souther via their website. They wrote: “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. J.D. Souther was smart, talented, well-read, and in possession of a wicked sense of humor. He loved a good meal, a good movie, and a good Martini… and he loved dogs, adopting many, over the course of his lifetime.”

“Born in Detroit and raised in the Texas Panhandle, he was a student of the deep roots of the best American music – from country, to jazz, to classical, as well as “Standards” from the Great American Songbook – and that knowledge and appreciation informed his work. He was a crucial co-writer on many of our most popular songs, including, The Best of My Love, New Kid in Town, and Heartache Tonight. J.D. also collaborated on many of Don Henley’s solo works, including The Heart of the Matter, Little Tin God, If Dirt Were Dollars and Talking to the Moon.”

Eagles’ tribute post concluded: “We mourn his loss and we send our condolences to his family, his friends, and his many fans around the world. He was an extraordinary man and will be greatly missed by many. Adios, old friend. Travel well.”

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 was also an actor, playing the character of John Dunaway in the third season of the TV drama Thirtysomething in 1989. He has also starred in other films and TV shows such as Postcards From The Edge, Purgatory, My Girl 2, Deadline and most recently had a recurring role in the first season of the 2012 country music drama series Nashville. He later reprised his role for a season five episode in 2017.

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