Eagles Pay Tribute to J.D. Souther: ‘A Brother, a Friend and a Brilliant Collaborator’

The Eagles have paid tribute to J.D. Souther, who co-wrote the band’s hits “Heartache Tonight” and “New Kid in Town,” following the singer-songwriter’s death Tuesday, “He was an extraordinary man and will be greatly missed by many.”

“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,” the Eagles said in a statement posted on their official website.

“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.”

Souther, a Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee, died at his home in Santa Fe Tuesday at the age of 78. In addition to helping pen Eagles classics, Souther was also a prolific solo artist and sometimes actor who also co-wrote tracks for the likes of Linda Ronstadt, Bonnie Raitt, James Taylor, and Don Henley.

“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,” the band continued. 
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“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.’“

The Eagles concluded their tribute to Souther, “Adios, old friend. Travel well.”