J.D. Souther
(born John David Souther
, November 2, 1945 in Detroit, Michigan and raised in Amarillo, Texas) is a country rock singer-songwriter and actor, as well as a multi instrumentalist. He is well known both as a performer and as a writer and co-writer of hit songs for other artists, most famously Eagles and Linda Ronstadt.
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JD SOUTHER TICKETS
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Singing career
Souther was greatly influenced by Texan
Roy Orbison, whose sound he tried to emulate. Following his move to
Los Angeles in the late 1960s, he met a young guitarist from Detroit named
Glenn Frey. They bonded over their Texas roots and a common love of country and R&B music. In short order, they began working together while sharing a small apartment in Los Angeles' Echo Park area (their downstairs neighbor was
Jackson Browne with whom both Souther and Frey would collaborate on numerous projects).
Shortly after meeting, Souther and Frey formed a folk duo called
Longbranch Pennywhistle. Their lone album, released in 1970 on
Jimmy Bowen's Amos Records, featured significant contributions from guitarists
James Burton and
Ry Cooder, fiddler
Doug Kershaw, drummer
Jim Gordon, pianist
Larry Knechtel and bassist
Joe Osborn.
After recording an eponymous solo album in 1972, persuaded by
David Geffen, Souther teamed up with
Chris Hillman and
Richie Furay to form the
Souther Hillman Furay Band The group released two albums, but creative tensions and lack of record sales (not to mention Furay's discomfort with playing secular music following his conversion to
Christianity) led to the band's demise.
Souther is probably best known for his well-crafted songwriting abilities, especially in the field of country rock. He co-wrote some of the biggest hits for the
Eagles, including "Best of My Love", "Victim of Love", "Heartache Tonight", and "
New Kid in Town". "How Long", which appears on the Eagles "Long Road Out Of Eden" was written by Souther and originally recorded on his first solo album in 1972. He also produced Linda Ronstadt's "Don't Cry Now" album, and wrote songs for several of Ronstadt's multi-platinum albums, including "Faithless Love" from
Heart Like a Wheel and "White Rhythm and Blues" included in her
Living in the USA album. He also recorded several notable duets with Ronstadt, including "Hasten Down the Wind," "Prisoner in Disguise," and "Sometimes You Can't Win." He wrote "Run Like a Thief," which appeared on
Home Plate
by
Bonnie Raitt.
Souther has also contributed as a singer in works written by other artists, including backing vocals with
Don Henley in "The Light Is On" by
Christopher Cross, from the 1980 album
Christopher Cross
.
His biggest hit as a solo artist was his 1979 Orbison-influenced song "
You're Only Lonely" from the album of the
same name, which reached number 7 on the
Billboard
charts. A collaboration with
James Taylor called "Her Town Too" from Taylor's
Dad Loves His Work
album reached number 11 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart.
He was a contributor on the
Roy Orbison and Friends, A Black and White Night
1987 concert and video, sang
The Platters' "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" in the 1989 movie
Always
and sang the theme song to the 1989-1992 sitcom
Anything But Love.
On October 14, 2008, Souther released
If The World Was You
, his first new release in 25 years.
Acting career
As an
actor, he has played several roles, including the character of John Dunaway in the (1989–1990) third season of the television drama
thirtysomething
and Ted in the film
Postcards from the Edge
(1990). He also performs in the
audio book genre including the recent
Jimmy Buffett sequel to
Tales from Margaritaville
,
A Salty Piece of Land
.
He played Jesse James in the Television movie "Purgatory" in 1999.
Personal life
In December 2002, Souther moved from the
Hollywood Hills, California to
Nashville, Tennessee. He built a ranch-style house and he lives there with his wife and stepdaughter.
Souther is a Democrat, and in late 2006 performed with
Jackson Browne and
Michael Stanley at a fundraiser for Democratic candidates in
Ohio.
Discography
Albums
| Year
| Album
| US
| Label
|
| 1972
| John David Souther
| —
| Elektra
|
| 1976
| Black Rose
| 85
|
| 1979
| You're Only Lonely
| 41
| Columbia
|
| 1984
| Home by Dawn
| —
| Warner Bros.
|
| 2008
| If the World Was You
| —
| Slow Curve
|
Singles
| Year
| Single
| Chart Positions
| Album
|
| US AC
| US
| US Country
|
| 1979
| "You're Only Lonely"
| 1
| 7
| 60
| You're Only Lonely
|
| 1981
| "Her Town Too"
| 5
| 11
| —
| Single only
|
| 1982
| "Sometimes You Just Can't Win" (with Linda Ronstadt)
| —
| —
| 27
| Get Closer
(Linda Ronstadt album)
|
20 Songs
In addition to these public releases, there also exists a promotional/not-for-sale CD,
20 Songs
, which showcases Souther's writing and performing talents. In addition to Souther himself, artists represented on the CD include Eagles, Linda Ronstadt, Don Henley, Bonnie Raitt, George Strait and James Taylor.
References