The 75-year-old Texas-born Don Henley, drummer and one of the lead vocalists of the Eagles, took on double duty in the legendary band.
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Henley sang the lead vocals on mega-hits like “Witchy Woman,” “Desperado” and “Hotel California.”
In 1980, when the group dissolved, Henley followed his pursuit of a solo career. He released his debut solo LP, Can’t Stand Still, in 1982. Since then, he released four more albums, along with some compilation records and a live DVD.
The Eagles, of course, are one of the most successful groups in American music, selling some 150 million albums and winning six Grammy Awards.
But all of this success begs the question: what was Henley like? To find that out, we dive into some of the things he said outside of his acclaimed song lyrics. There we can read his thoughts on his craft, his life, the concept of love, and the world around him.
Here are the 20 best Don Henley quotes.
1. “Sometimes you get the best light from a burning bridge.”
2. “Let hope inspire you, but let not idealism blind you. Don’t look back, you can never look back.”
3. “Between each album I try to gain a new insight that I didn’t have before and perhaps write a song about something that I’ve written about before, but from a fresh viewpoint.”
4. “I could have played more complex stuff. I could have been a busier player. But that’s not what I wanted to do. I played what I wanted to play.”
5. “I have a certain pool of subject matter that I like to write about, things that interest me: politics, religion, ecology, and relationships between men and women. And that’s usually what I focus on.”
6. “I try to write conversationally; I try to write like people speak and put the emphasis on the right syllable.”
7. “I’m blessed with a pretty good voice. So just sitting back there banging on the tubs wasn’t enough.”
8. “I’m fortunate that I’ve been in this business long enough that I’ve earned the right to be left alone by my record company.”
9. “It was pretty frightening because as we all know when large, famous groups break up, a lot of the members don’t survive in solo careers.”
10. “A man with a briefcase can steal millions more than any man with a gun.”
11. “Some records with drum machines on them sound phony and plastic. It all depends on how you use the tools.”
12. “I could stand out front and sing Eagles songs that I sing in my set, but I think people enjoy watching me sing and play the drums. It seems to fascinate people. I don’t know why.”
13. “I don’t care what anybody says about Ringo. I cut my rock-n-roll teeth listening to him.”
14. “I have a bad back partially from playing the drums and singing. I used to have to hold my body in such a position that my spine got out of alignment.”
15. “I’m always jotting things down on pieces of paper. I’ve got pieces of paper all over my house.”
16. “I’m certainly not thrilled with everything the Eagles did, but there are some things I’m quite proud of.”
17. “Selling eight million copies of your first album will mess you up.”
18. “The Eagles and the critics were not the best of friends.”
19. “The Eagles ended on a rather abrupt note, although in retrospect I realize now that it had been ending for quite some time.”
20. “Sometimes songwriters and singers forget that. They get a melody in their head and the notes will take precedence so that they wind up forcing a word onto a melody. It doesn’t ring true.”
Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic, Inc
