JD Souther Dies: Singer-Songwriter Behind Hits By The Eagles And Linda Ronstadt Was 78

JD Souther, a Songwriters Hall of Famer whose collaborations with The Eagles, Linda Ronstadt and James Taylor helped define the country-tinged Laurel Canyon/Southern California rock sound of the 1970s, has died. He was 78.

His reps said Souther died peacefully at his home in Sandia Park, NM, but did not provide a cause or date of death.

More from Deadline

• Hollywood & Media Deaths In 2024: Photo Gallery & Obituaries

• Tito Jackson Dies: The Jackson 5 Founding Guitarist Was 70

• Nick Gravenites Dies: Chicago Bluesman Who Cofounded The Electric Flag, Wrote Songs For Janis Joplin And Produced 1971 Hit "One Toke Over The Line" Was 85

Born John David Souther on November 2, 1945, in Detroit — he went by JD, sans periods, throughout nearly all of his professional career — Souther was raised in Amarillo, Texas. He moved to Los Angeles in the late 1960s, where he soon, and fortuitously, formed a band called Longbranch Pennywhistle with musician-songwriter Glenn Frey, a fellow Detroit native. The two would continue their songwriting collaboration even after Frey went on to cofound The Eagles, one of the most successful rock bands in history.

Together, Souther and Frey would contribute some of the Eagles’ most enduring and beloved songs, including “Best of My Love,” “New Kid in Town” and “James Dean.” With Frey, Eagles bandmate Don Henley and rocker Bob Seger, Souther wrote “Heartache Tonight,” a No. 1 hit for The Eagles in 1979 that capped a decade of the band’s massive popularity and influence.

The Eagles issued a statement about Souther of the band’s website. “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 band said in part (read it in full below). “J.D. Souther was smart, talented, well-read, and in possession of a wicked sense of humor. … Adios, old friend. Travel well.”

Separately, former Eagles guitarist Don Felder posted on his site: “The invisible Eagle has left the nest. His writing contribution and vocal contributions to the music industry has been a blessing to the whole world. He will be missed, but his songs will live on forever. Rest in peace, my friend.”

DEADLINE RELATED VIDEO

A cornerstone of the early ’70s Los Angeles music scene centered around the rustic yet posh Laurel Canyon area and The Troubadour bar in West Hollywood, Souther collaborated with or merely befriended some of the most impactful musicians of the era, including Taylor, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Randy Newman, Poco, The Flying Burrito Brothers and a young singer from Tucson, AZ, named Linda Ronstadt. Souther and Ronstadt would become a couple during those years, though their musical collaborations and lifelong friendship would outlast the romance.

Among other projects, Souther co-produced her 1973 album Don’t Cry Now, writing three songs for the record including the title tune. He would continue writing songs for, and occasionally singing duets with, the singer throughout her country-rock stardom of the 1970s, including numbers for her chart-topping albums Heart Like a Wheel (“Faithless Love”) and Living in the USA (“White Rhythm and Blues”).

He also recorded several duets with her including “Prisoner in Disguise,” “Sometimes You Can’t Win” and “Hearts Against the Wind.” The latter was featured in the 1980 film Urban Cowboy and is the last song on its triple-platinum soundtrack, which hit No. 3 on the Billboard 200.

Other songs he penned include “Run Like a Thief,” for Bonnie Raitt and a collaboration with James Taylor, “Her Town Too,” which reached No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100. He also sang vocals on songs by Don Henley, Christopher Cross, Dan Fogelberg and Roy Orbison.

During his induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2013, Souther was lauded as “a principal architect of the Southern California sound and a major influence on a generation of songwriters.”

Although he’d primarily be recognized for his songwriting skills, Souther would also enjoy his own performing career, releasing more than a half-dozen solo albums from 1972-2015. In the early ’70s he formed the Souther-Hillman-Furay Band, a sort of Eagles-like supergroup with the Byrds’ Chris Hillman and Poco’s Richie Furay. Although the trio would never achieve the heights of the more popular Troubadour groups, its two albums included the 1974 hit “Fallin’ In Love,” which received considerable play on FM radio.

In 1979, Souther had his first and only hit as a solo artist with the song “You’re Only Lonely.” The title track from his third album album, it reached reaching No. 1 on Adult Contemporary radio and No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart.

Souther also had a sideline career as an actor, appearing on such TV series as thirtysomething, Purgatory and recurring as songwriter Watty White on Season 1 of Nashville and in films including Postcards from the Edge, My Girl 2 and Deadline.

But he never stopped writing and performing. At the time of his death, he was set to embark on a tour with the singer Karla Bonoff.

Souther is survived by his two sisters, his former wife Sarah Souther and step-daughter Anja Nicholson. The family suggested that donations by made to Best Friends Animal Society.

Here is the full Eagles statement on Souther’s passing:

Best of Deadline

• Hallmark Sets Holiday Lineup 2024 On Channel, Hallmark Mystery And Hallmark+

• Which Emily Henry Books Are Becoming Movies? ‘Happy Place,’ ‘Book Lovers,’ Among Others 

• 2024-25 Awards Season Calendar: Dates For Oscars, Grammys, Guilds & More

Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.