bio

Don Felder's Biography

Born: September 21st 1947 in

Gainesville, Florida

A long time ago in a college town far, far away…

(Ok, so it wasn’t that long ago and it wasn’t that far away)

There was a kid named Don who watched the Ed Sullivan show one night and saw this guy wiggling his hips who was ‘All Shook Up’ and that boy said that’s what I want to do. (Be a musician, not wiggle his hips <G>) So he swapped a bag of cherry bombs for a holey guitar and went to everyone who could teach him anything about music. He also slowed down records and copied the guitar parts. He was getting really good, really fast and by 13 he was playing in bands with some other kid named Stephen. He had a lot of support from his Dad as he played locally and at fraternities at the local college. “Yeah, I’m 18.” He’d say when in fact he barely began shaving. He also gave lessons at Lipham Music Store for $2 an hour. (Wonder how much that would be now with inflation?) One of the kids he taught guitar to was a kid from a band called Mudcrutch named Tommy Petty. While hanging around his hometown and going to junior college he recorded a couple songs with the Maundy Quintet. Then he headed up North splitting his time there between Boston and Manhattan. In that time period he went to college, joined a band called Flow and they recorded a really groovy Jazz album. Unfortunately it received little success. He also worked in a recording studio where he was learning the music engineering business and sweeping floors. Then Bernie Leadon, an old friend of his from Gainesville (Who was also a member the Maundy Quintet) was in town with this little known band called the Eagles. The Eagles had a couple popular songs that played on AM stations including 'Take It Easy' and 'Witchy Women' but they were still playing colleges and small venues. He would hang out with the band, jam with them backstage and then one day Bernie said he should go out West because that's where everything in the music biz was happening, so Don packed up his guitar and headed west…

Once Don got to sunny California he got by being a session musician for people like David Blue. Then he was called in as a session player to do slide on the Eagles song ‘Good Day in Hell’ because their first choice Joe Walsh wasn’t available and then they remembered Don from the jam sessions back East and invited him to play. He blew them away and they were so impressed that they asked him to join the next day. He was about to go on tour with Crosby & Nash so he wasn’t sure if he should leave a good paying gig with C&N or join this semi-successful band. (The Eagles last LP Desperado didn’t sell well so they were shaking things up with the current album by changing producers and adding a more rock sound.) He decided to join the band. On his first day in the studio he wondered if he just made the worst decision of his life. He walked in and everyone was yelling and screaming and he was thinking, “Great! I just joined a band that’s about to break up!” Luckily, the band didn't break-up that day:) Don also did slide guitar on another song for the album On the Border called ‘Already Gone‘. Don was listed on the LP as Late Arrival. The album was a winner and gave the band hits like 'Already Gone' and their first #1 (recorded prior to Don’s arrival) 'Best of My Love.'

One of These Nights was recorded next and it featured Don’s only lead vocals on an Eagles song. The song was 'Visions.' It’s a fantastic tune that has great vocal and searing guitar parts by Don. They had 3 hits with ‘Take it to the Limit‘, ‘Lyin’ Eyes’ (which gave them their first Grammy) and their 2nd #1 hit ‘One of These Nights.’ The band was heading more towards a rock and roll sound and away from their country/bluegrass past with the help of Don’s playing. Soon Bernie fed up with the road and the stress of being in a high profile band can bring, quit the band. In a fix, they went to longtime friend Joe Walsh and asked him to join the band. Now with Joe they could play the classic hits they had (Don would be playing banjo/ mandolin/pedal steel guitar which Bernie played on previous tours.) with Joe taking up the guitar part Don would have played. But they could also rock out with both Don and Joe jamming on songs they couldn’t have done live previously, including songs from Joe‘s solo career and the James Gang. They were now a full fledged rock and roll band.

The next album would take the band to new heights and would eventually drive them apart in the long run (No pun intended!) Hotel California was a brilliant magnum opus, not only the song but the album as a whole. The title track was Don’s tour de force. The music was recorded on a tape deck while Don was just chilling on his couch at home on a hot afternoon. He was fiddling with his guitar and it just flowed out. Don put it on tape along with some other musical ideas that he had (which he always did and still does.) and played them for the other guys. They went nuts over what would become ‘Hotel California.’ That song would become the most successful Eagles song ever recorded. When most people think of the Eagles, they instantly think ‘Hotel California’ with it’s haunting intro and dueling guitar finale. Don is an amazing songwriter and this is an excellent example of Don’s musical proficiency. ‘Hotel California’ would naturally become a #1 and this followed the previous #1 from Hotel California ‘New Kid in Town.’ The last hit on the LP is ‘Life in the Fast Lane’ which didn’t make it to the #1 spot but is still a classic.

It would be 3 years before the band’s last studio album with Don was released. The Long Run was by far the most experiential of all the Eagles albums with talk box guitars and synthesizers adding a whole new dimension to the band's discography. Little, if anything, remains of the sound/feel of the Eagles debut album. They matured and were writing darker more adult-orientated songs. Original bassist Randy Meisner left after the Hotel California tour and was replaced by Timothy B. Schmit. The album had 3 singles 'The Long Run', 'Heartache Tonight' and 'I Can’t Tell You Why' but only one made it to the #1 spot. But they did win their last Grammy for 'Heartache Tonight.' Soon after the world tour the band would split up and Don was now flying solo…

In the 80’s Don did musical projects regularly but devoted a lot of his time to his family. On radios everywhere in 1981 'Heavy Metal (Takin’a Ride)' was being played. It was the first single from a Eagles member from the last line up prior to their break-up. (Not including Joe Walsh, who maintained a solo career while in the Eagles.) 'Heavy Metal' was one of two songs that Don did for the motion picture soundtrack for the film 'Heavy Metal' which was based on a very popular adult comic book. In the ‘83 Don released his first and currently only LP Airborne. It was a departure from the Eagles sound, yet there was a familiarity to it (Don's style of guitar playing.) It featured the single and video ‘Bad Girls.’ It was underrated album and it was great to hear Don front and center. In 1985 Don would write the score, host and acted on a TV kids variety show called FTV. Don is a natural in front of the camera and had a fun time doing FTV. After two seasons it was cancelled. Also during that time Don wrote the music for another kids show called Galaxy High. Don guest appeared on several albums and dabbled in non-musical related business ventures through out the rest of the 80’s.

In 1994 because of another Eagles’ environmental interest a bunch of country musicians got together and released a album of Eagles remakes. One artist Travis Tritt did a video for the old Eagles song 'Take it Easy' and got the all the members of the Eagles from the 1980 line-up together to be in his video. This lead to talks and soon the Eagles were together once again. What became of this ‘resumption’ was the Hell Freezes Over album & tour including 4 new songs from the band. The songs were 'Love Will Keep Us Alive', 'Get Over It', 'The Girl From Yesterday' and 'Learn to Be Still.' On January 12th 1998 Don along with the other 6 members (past and present) of the Eagles were inducted in to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. In 1999/2000 Don would play with the Eagles for the last time for the New Years Shows. In February 2001 Don was wrongfully terminated from the Eagles and is in a pending litigation against his former partners. Don hasn’t let this slow him down, he continues to give back to the public that supported his career through the years by doing numerous charity events all over the world and helping people less fortunate. He is currently working on a solo album, writing music for TV and movies and there are many other projects in the works. - Cathy

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