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Don Felder

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Don Felder
Felder performing at Auto Club Speedway in 2023
Felder performing atAuto Club Speedwayin 2023
Background information
Birth nameDonald William Felder
Born(1947-09-21)September 21, 1947(age 76)
Gainesville, Florida,U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)Musician
Instrument(s)
  • Guitar
  • vocals
Years active1966–present
Websitedonfelder.com

Donald William Felder(born September 21, 1947) is an American musician who was the lead guitarist of therockbandEaglesfrom 1974 to 2001. He was inducted into theRock and Roll Hall of Famein 1998 with the Eagles. Felder was inducted into theMusicians Hall of Fame and Museumin 2016.

Felder was fired from the Eagles in 2001, after which he filed various lawsuits allegingwrongful termination,breach of implied-in-fact contract, and breach of fiduciary duty. He published an autobiography detailing his tenure with Eagles,Heaven and Hell: My Life in the Eagles (1974–2001),in 2008.

Early life[edit]

Don Felder was born inGainesville, Florida,on September 21, 1947. He was raised in a Southern Baptist family.[1]

Felder was first attracted to music after watchingElvis Presleylive onThe Ed Sullivan Show.He acquired his first guitar when he was about ten years old, which he has stated he exchanged with a friend at thefive-and-dimefor a handful ofcherry bombs.[2]A self-taught musician, he was heavily influenced byrock and roll.At the age of 13 he started his first band, the Continentals, which also includedStephen StillsandIsaac Guillory.

Felder's family could not afford music lessons, so he taught himself to play guitar by ear, by listening to tape recordings that he played back at half speed. He worked at a music school started by aBerkleegraduate, who taught music theory and some notation to Felder during his employment there.[3][4]

Career[edit]

Early bands[edit]

Around that time, he metBernie Leadon,who later became one of the founding members of theEagles.Leadon replacedStephen Stillsin the Continentals, which eventually changed its name to the Maundy Quintet. Felder and Leadon both attendedGainesville High School.Felder gave guitar lessons at a local music shop for about 18 months, at which time Felder also learned how to play slide guitar fromDuane Allman.[5]Although Felder claimed that he taught a youngTom Pettyhow to play the guitar,[6][7]Petty denied that he was ever taught the guitar by Felder, clarifying that Felder instead taught him how to play piano.[8][9]

The Maundy Quintet recorded and released a 45 rpm single on the Tampa-based Paris Tower label in 1967, which received airplay in north-central Florida.[citation needed]

After the Maundy Quintet broke up, Felder went toManhattan, New York City,with a band called Flow, which released a self-titled improvisational rock fusion album in 1970.[1]The 1970 Flow album has the distinction of being among the first issued on the newly independentCTI Recordslabel, founded by noted jazz producerCreed Taylor.[10]While in New York, Felder improved his mastery of improvisation on the guitar and learned various styles. After Flow broke up, Felder moved toBostonwhere he got a job in a recording studio.[1]

In 1973, Felder moved to Los Angeles where he was hired as guitar player for a tour byDavid Blue,replacingDavid Lindleywho was touring withCrosby & Nash.He helped Blue put together a tour, during which they opened at a few Crosby and Nash shows in November 1973 and forNeil Youngat the opening of theRoxy Theatre.Once again, Felder replaced Lindley, this time in Crosby & Nash's band when Lindley fell ill. He would also jam from time to time with the Eagles in their rehearsal space.[1]

In 1974, he featured on theMichael DinneralbumThe Great Pretender.[11]

Eagles[edit]

In early January 1974, Felder was called bythe Eaglesto add slide guitar to their song "Good Day in Hell"and some guitar solos to"Already Gone".[1]Shortly afterwards, he was invited to join the band. Concurrently, the band began distancing themselves from their initialcountry rockstyle and moving more in the direction of full-fledgedhard rockmusic. On the band's fourth album,One of These Nights,Felder sang lead vocal on the song "Visions" (the only song of which he was lead vocalist), which he co-wrote withDon Henley,and arranged the title track's distinctive guitar solo and bass line.[1]

After founding memberBernie Leadondeparted in 1975 following the tour to support the album,Joe Walshjoined the band. Felder had previously jammed with Walsh while Leadon was still a member of the Eagles, and together as dual guitar leads, they would eventually become one of rock music's most memorable onstage partnerships. Felder also doubled onbanjo,mandolinandpedal steel guitaron future tours, all of which were previously handled by Leadon.[12]

Don Felder, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

The first album that the Eagles released after the lineup change wasHotel California,which became a major international bestseller. Felder submitted "16 or 17 tracks" that resulted in the songs "Victim of Love" and the album's title track, "Hotel California".[1][13][14][15]For the title track, after the arrangement and instrumentation had been refined, several complete takes were recorded. The best parts were then spliced together, in all 33 edits on the two‑inch master, to create the final version.[16]In contrast, "Victim of Love" was recorded in a live session in studio apart from the lead vocal and the harmony on the choruses which were added later. Don Felder initially sang the lead vocals in the many early takes of "Victim of Love", but the band felt that his efforts were not up to the required standard, and Henley then took over as lead vocalist.[17]After the release ofHotel Californiaand the tour that followed, the Eagles found themselves under tremendous pressure to repeat this success and tensions were made worse byalcohol,cocaineand other drugs. BassistRandy Meisnerleft the band after the tour due to exhaustion and he was replaced by formerPocobassistTimothy B. Schmit,who had also replaced him in that band. Nevertheless, the fighting did not end with the addition of the mild-mannered Schmit, but it rather intensified during the recording ofThe Long Run,which took 18 months to complete, and Felder and Glenn Frey were especially hostile to one another, despite respecting each other's musical abilities.[18][19]

According to Henley, Felder attempted to gain more control by co-opting Walsh so frequently that it was the pair up against himself and Frey when the band was dividing into factions and even Henley and Frey began to have their differences, thus causing the Eagles to disband.[20]

At a concert inLong Beach, California,for SenatorAlan Cranstonon July 31, 1980, known as the "Long Night at Wrong Beach", things hit a breaking point in the band when the animosity between Felder and Frey boiled over before the show began after Felder said, "You're welcome – I guess" to Cranston and his wife, thus offending Frey.[21]He angrily confronted Felder and the pair began to threaten beatings throughout the show.[22]Felder recalls Frey telling him during "Best of My Love", "I'm gonna kick your ass when we get off the stage." After the concert, Felder smashed, according to Frey, Felder's "cheapest guitar". The Eagles disbanded shortly thereafter.[23][24][23][25]

Post-1970s career[edit]

Following the 1980 disbandment of the Eagles, Felder focused more on his family, but also embarked on a solo career, concentrating on film composition and session work. He worked on theBee Gees' 1981 albumLiving Eyesas a session guitarist. Through his association with Bee Gees' producerAlbhy Galuten,Felder made session appearances on albums by artists as diverse asDiana Ross,Barbra Streisand,andAndy Gibb.During this time, he also contributed guitar work toStevie Nicks' first two solo albums,Bella DonnaandThe Wild Heart.

In 1983, Felder released his first solo album entitledAirborne.The album's single "Never Surrender", co-written withKenny Loggins,was a minor hit, having also appeared on the soundtrack to the popular motion picture teen comedyFast Times at Ridgemont High.

In 1985, Henley offered Felder $5,000 a week (US $14,165 in 2023 dollars[26]) to go on tour with him, but Felder turned it down, citing both dissatisfaction with the pay and a desire to not go on tour.[27]

Among his musical film credits in the 1980s are two songs on the soundtrack to the 1981 animated cult filmHeavy Metalentitled "Heavy Metal (Takin' a Ride)"(with former bandmatesDon HenleyandTimothy B. Schmitcontributing backing vocals) and "All of You" – withJefferson Starship'sMickey Thomasas backing vocalist, as well as the title track "Wild Life" from the 1985 motion picture adaptation ofNeil Simon'sThe Slugger's Wife.He also penned the song "She's Got A Part of Me" from the soundtrack to the 1985 romantic comedySecret Admirer.

Felder's television credits includeFTV,a musical comedy show that parodiedMTVandmusic videos[28]which he hosted from 1985 to 1986,[29]andGalaxy High,the 1986CBScartoon series for which he scored and performed all of the music, including the series' catchy theme song.

Eagles Band reformation[edit]

Sparked by the success of the tribute albumCommon Thread: The Songs of the Eagles,the band (including Felder) regrouped 14 years later for a concert aired onMTV,which resulted in a new albumHell Freezes Overin 1994. For the live MTV performance, the band's signature song "Hotel California" was rearranged into an acoustic version and Felder kicked off the set by performing it with a new, flamenco-style intro.

Felder performed (with all current and former band members) the hits "Take It Easy" and "Hotel California" at the band's 1998 induction into theRock and Roll Hall of FameinManhattan, New York City.He continued as a member of the Eagles until 2001.

Band termination and lawsuit against the Eagles[edit]

On February 6, 2001, Felder was fired from the Eagles. He responded by filing two lawsuits allegingwrongful termination,breach of implied-in-fact contract, and breach of fiduciary duty, reportedly seeking $50 million in damages.[30][31]Felder alleged that from the 1994Hell Freezes Overtour onward, Henley and Frey had "insisted that they each receive a higher percentage of the band's profits", whereas the money had previously been split in five equal portions. Felder also accused them of coercing him into signing an agreement under which Henley and Frey would receive three times more of theSelected Works: 1972–1999proceeds than would Felder. This box set, released in November 2000, has sold approximately 267,000 copies and earned over $16 million. Henley and Frey then countersued Felder forbreach of contract,alleging that Felder had written and attempted to sell the rights to a "tell-all" book.

On January 23, 2002, the Los Angeles County Court consolidated the two complaints and on May 8, 2007, the case was settled out of court for an undisclosed amount.[32]Despite the settlement, Felder has since filed subsequent lawsuits against the Eagles.[33]

Heaven and Hell: My Life in The Eagles (1974–2001)was published in the United Kingdom on November 1, 2007. The American edition was published byJohn Wiley & Sonson April 28, 2008, with Felder embarking on a publicity campaign.

Post-Eagles[edit]

Nearly three decades after the release ofAirborne,his second solo albumRoad to Foreverwas released on October 9, 2012, with "Fall from the Grace of Love" as the lead single, a song that featured the harmony vocals ofCrosby, Stills & Nash.

When the Eagles did theirHistory of the Eagles Tour,2013–2015, to coincide with theirtwo-part documentary,it was criticized by Felder for being incomplete.[34]He did not participate in the associated tour.[34]Since 2005, Felder has been touring with his own band, the Don Felder Band. In 2014, they toured with rock bandsStyxandForeigner.In 2017, Felder toured the US withStyxandREO Speedwagon.

In 2019, Felder announced that he would release his third studio album,American Rock 'n' Roll,on April 5 on CD and vinyl. The album features musicians such asSammy Hagar,Slash(who lives near Felder),[35]Richie Sambora,Orianthi,Peter Frampton,Joe Satriani,Mick Fleetwood,Chad Smith,Bob Weir,David Paich,Steve Porcaro,Alex LifesonandJim Keltner,among others. Felder will go on a worldwide tour to promote the new album.[36]The title track references artists fromJimi HendrixandSantanatoThe Doobie Brothers,U2Bruce Springsteen,Red Hot Chili Peppers,Van Halen,Guns N' Rosesand more.[35]

Personal life[edit]

In a 2008 interview withHoward Stern,Felder affirmed that he remains friends with fellow former Eagles membersBernie LeadonandRandy Meisner.[37]When asked if he still had any contact with Frey or Henley, Felder stated that the only replies he gets are from their respective attorneys.

In 2016, the day after Frey's death, Felder told theAssociated Pressthat he felt an "unbelievable sorrow" when he learned about Frey's death. "I had always hoped somewhere along the line, he and I would have dinner together, talking about old times and letting it go with a handshake and a hug."[38]

Artistry[edit]

Equipment[edit]

Felder is known for his performances usingGibson Les PaulandGibson EDS-1275(double-neck 6 and 12 string) electric guitars. This promptedGibsonto name two re-issues after him in 2010, the "Don Felder Hotel California 1959 Les Paul" and the "Don Felder Hotel California EDS-1275". Felder himself is an avid guitar collector, having amassed close to 300 models since childhood.

Felder usesFenderDeluxe Reverband Tweed Deluxe amplifiers[39]modified byDumble Amplifiers.When performing Hotel California, the 12-string side of the 1275 plays through aLeslie speaker.[39]

Felder's pedalboard consists of a Voodoo Labs Pedal Power, aFulltoneOCD overdrive, twoBossDigital Delay DD-3delays,a Boss Chorus Ensemblechorus,anMXRTalk box,and a Peterson Stomp Classic tuner.[39]

Other activities[edit]

Autobiography[edit]

Felder's autobiographyHeaven and Hell: My Life in the Eagles (1974–2001)was published in early 2008.[1]The book allowed Felder to tell his life story, describe his relationships withGlenn FreyandDon Henley,and to relate his own version of his termination from the band in 2001. In an interview done on April 27, 2008 with Jim Farber of theNew York Daily News,Felder is quoted as saying that he "wasn't out to hang people's heads for the whole community to see, that wasn't the point of the book. The point was to tell my story."[40]

Discography[edit]

Singles[edit]

Studio albums[edit]

Soundtrack albums[edit]

With Eagles[edit]

Main article:Eagles discography

Studio albums[edit]

Songs co-written by Felder[edit]

Songs featuring Felder on lead vocal[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^abcdefghSharp, Ken (2008)."The Eagles Heaven and Hell: The Inside story of the Hotel California Years by Don Felder".Record Collector Magazine.348:33–38.Archivedfrom the original on November 21, 2016.RetrievedNovember 20,2016.
  2. ^Felder & Holden 2008,pp. 18–19.
  3. ^Villanueva, Jim (April 4, 2016)."FANTASY LEAGUE: DON FELDER DRAFTED TO ROCK 'N' ROLL FANTASY CAMP TEAM".music.allaccess.com.Archivedfrom the original on November 30, 2018.RetrievedNovember 30,2018.
  4. ^Karras, Steve (April 12, 2013)."Lone Eagle Don Felder Speaks".www.sosoactive.com.Archivedfrom the original on December 1, 2018.RetrievedNovember 30,2018.
  5. ^Chelstowski, Ray."3 things former Eagles guitarist Don Felder thinks you should know".Goldmine Magazine: Record Collector & Music Memorabilia.Goldmine.RetrievedOctober 2,2023."I had seen Duane play slide all summer long that year up and down Daytona Beach. So one night when we got off work at one o'clock, we went to have breakfast with Gregg and Duane. We later ended up at their mother's house with Duane on the floor playing slide guitar. I said," You gotta show me how to do that! "So he showed me the tuning, showed me how to pull down from the 5th to the 4, to bend the 3rd really slowly up to a note, drag down to the seventh just kinda the basic way that slide works."
  6. ^Felder & Holden 2008,pp. 28.
  7. ^"Gibson Guitars interview with Don Felder".Gibson.com. June 24, 2008. Archived fromthe originalon August 31, 2011.RetrievedNovember 4,2011.
  8. ^Pedersen, Erik (April 17, 2011)."Tom Petty Discusses Influences, Career During SiriusXM Q&A Session".Hollywood Reporter.Archivedfrom the original on May 13, 2014.RetrievedMay 14,2014.
  9. ^"Don Felder is thought to have taught Tom Petty how to play the guitar, but Tom said," Don Felder did not teach me to play the guitar… | Guitar, Eagles band, Eagles ".Archivedfrom the original on October 25, 2021.RetrievedOctober 25,2021.
  10. ^"Flow (17) - Flow".Discogs.November 13, 1970.Archivedfrom the original on November 29, 2016.RetrievedNovember 21,2016.
  11. ^"Michael Dinner - The Great Pretender".Discogs.November 13, 1974.Archivedfrom the original on November 29, 2016.RetrievedNovember 21,2016.
  12. ^Deriso, Nick (November 16, 2012)."Don Felder on the Eagles'" Hotel California "," Heavy Metal ", other solo songs".Archivedfrom the original on August 6, 2016.RetrievedJune 10,2016.
  13. ^"'Who can sing any song better than Don Henley?': Inside the convoluted vocal track for the Eagles' 'Victim of Love' - Something Else! ".somethingelsereviews.com. October 28, 2013.Archivedfrom the original on August 1, 2017.RetrievedJuly 11,2017.
  14. ^"Henley talks egos, jealousy and bust-ups".news.com.au. June 4, 2014.Archivedfrom the original on May 30, 2019.RetrievedMarch 4,2018.
  15. ^"Music's 30 Fiercest Feuds and Beefs".Rolling Stone.September 15, 2017.Archivedfrom the original on November 24, 2017.RetrievedDecember 20,2017.
  16. ^Richard Buskin (September 2010)."The Eagles 'Hotel California' Classic Tracks".Sound on Sound.Archivedfrom the original on April 3, 2016.RetrievedApril 1,2016.
  17. ^Runtagh, Jordan (December 8, 2016)."The Eagles' 'Hotel California': 10 Things You Didn't Know".Rolling Stone.Archivedfrom the original on December 1, 2017.RetrievedDecember 19,2017.
  18. ^"Don Felder Biography".donfelderonline.com.Archivedfrom the original on March 5, 2018.RetrievedMarch 4,2018.
  19. ^"Glenn Frey Biography".glennfreyonline.com.Archivedfrom the original on February 22, 2018.RetrievedMarch 4,2018.
  20. ^"History of the Eagles Part One (2013) Movie Script - SS".Springfield! Springfield!.Archivedfrom the original on June 12, 2018.RetrievedMarch 4,2018.
  21. ^Felder & Holden 2008,p. 209-210.
  22. ^Gumbel, Andrew (February 3, 2007)."Eagles reform: checking back into the Hotel California".The Independent.Archivedfrom the original on April 10, 2011.RetrievedNovember 27,2010.
  23. ^ab"How The Eagles took it to the limits".Archived fromthe originalon July 18, 2008.RetrievedMay 20,2008..The Times(London). October 12, 2007.
  24. ^Felder & Holden 2008,p. 210.
  25. ^Felder & Holden 2008,p. 209.
  26. ^1634–1699:McCusker, J. J.(1997).How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda(PDF).American Antiquarian Society.1700–1799:McCusker, J. J.(1992).How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States(PDF).American Antiquarian Society.1800–present:Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis."Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–".RetrievedFebruary 29,2024.
  27. ^Felder & Holden 2008,p. 223.
  28. ^FTV (TV Series 1985– )atIMDb
  29. ^Liz Simons (August 29, 2012)."Does ANYONE Remember FTV Besides ME???".The DVR Files.Archivedfrom the original on September 19, 2020.RetrievedMarch 9,2019.
  30. ^Leeds, Jeff (December 8, 2002)."Reborn Eagles Lose Peaceful, Easy Feeling".Los Angeles Times.p. C-1.Archivedfrom the original on July 25, 2012.RetrievedJuly 6,2017.
  31. ^Atwood, Brett (February 12, 2001)."Eagles Sued by Don Felder Over Dismissal".Yahoo! Music.Archived fromthe originalon June 30, 2007.
  32. ^Lester, Paul (October 1, 2015)."Don Henley: 'There's no partying, no alcohol, it's like a morgue backstage'".The Guardian.ISSN0261-3077.Archivedfrom the original on November 21, 2016.RetrievedNovember 21,2016.
  33. ^Greene, Andy (July 5, 2013)."Eagles Tour Will Feature Founding Guitarist Bernie Leadon".Rolling Stone.Archivedfrom the original on July 7, 2013.RetrievedAugust 26,2017.
  34. ^abGraff, Gary (February 21, 2013)."Don Felder: 'History of the Eagles' Isn't the Whole Story".Billboard.Archivedfrom the original on February 18, 2014.RetrievedDecember 26,2013.
  35. ^ab"Hear Don Felder Team Up with Slash forAmerican Rock 'n' Roll".GuitarPlayer.com.January 28, 2019.Archivedfrom the original on November 6, 2021.RetrievedMarch 9,2019.
  36. ^"Don Felder to Release New Album: American Rock 'N' Roll Out April 5".Don Felder. January 25, 2019.Archivedfrom the original on April 19, 2019.RetrievedMarch 9,2019.
  37. ^Felder & Holden 2008,p. 328.
  38. ^Italie, Hillel (January 19, 2016)."Former Eagle Don Felder Mourns Death of Glenn Frey".The Seattle Times.Archivedfrom the original on February 8, 2020.RetrievedApril 20,2020.
  39. ^abcPremier Guitar (June 7, 2016),Rig Rundown - Don Felder,archivedfrom the original on September 3, 2019,retrievedOctober 22,2018
  40. ^Farber, Jim. "The Eagle Has Landed, Loudly. Don Felder Smiles about Supergroup Days, but He Has a Dark Story". Editorial.New York Daily News[New York City] April 27, 2008, 11th ed.: Web. February 22, 2015.
  41. ^Various - Music From The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack - The Slugger's Wife,November 13, 1985,retrievedApril 24,2023
  42. ^Various - Secret Admirer - Music From The Motion Picture Soundtrack,November 13, 1985,retrievedApril 24,2023

Works cited[edit]

External links[edit]

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