Don Felder is most famously known as a member of the Eagles. He played guitar with them from 1975 through 1980, and then again from their reunion in 1994 until 2001, when he was dismissed over disagreements with Don Henley and Glenn Frey, the group’s sole original members and de facto leaders. Nevertheless, Felder, with a rich musical heritage all his own, looks back fondly over arguably the best period of the band’s career, including the album Hotel California with a title track that originated from a simple demo Felder presented to the band.
Since his departure from the Eagles, Felder penned his autobiography, Heaven and Hell: My Life In The Eagles, in 2009. Naturally, as its title implies, the book details the highs and lows of Felder’s time with the band. That helped inspire his first solo album in three decades, Road To Forever, featuring 12 fresh track and lots of special guests. On April 13 (2013), he performed at the Light Up The Blues concert, a benefit for Stephen Stills and wife Kristen at Club Nokia in Los Angeles along with Crosby, Stills & Nash, Ryan Adams, Rickie Lee Jones, Lucinda Williams, Chris Stills and Jack Black. Then Felder hits the road for some solo shows in May and June with dates to come throughout the year.
In the following interview, Felder touches on the new record, the story behind its recording, touring plans and, of course, the Eagles. In conjunction with their 40th anniversary, there’s the documentary History Of The Eagles, which premiered on Showtime in February (2013) and comes to DVD and Blu-ray at the end of April. The guitarist has mixed feelings about the film, but he maintains a sunny disposition about one thing: the music. Whether making it with the Eagles, with friends or on his own, it’s clearly the one thing that nourishes Don Felder’s soul, mind and body.
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