Songwriter and Eagles colleague was 78

JD Souther, the singer and songwriter who co-wrote songs with the Eagles and Linda Ronstadt, has died. He was 78.

Souther died peacefully at his home in New Mexico, his spokesman said. No cause of death was given. He was about to go on tour with Karla Bonoff.

Souther, a Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee, was responsible for some of the Eagles’ biggest hits, including “Best of My Love,” “Victim of Love,” “Heartache Tonight” and “New Kid in Town.” With Ronstadt, he co-wrote and duetted on the classic “Prisoner in Disguise,” “Sometimes You Can’t Win” and “Hearts Against the Wind.” He also enjoyed a successful solo career, penning the hits “You’re Only Lonely” and “Her Town Too,” the latter a duet with Taylor.

Born John David Souther on November 2, 1945 in Detroit, Michigan, he grew up in Amarillo, Texas. He started making music in the local Amarillo scene and his first band was The Cinders, who released one single in 1965 under the name John David and The Cinders.

Souther moved to Los Angeles in the late 1960s, where he met and befriended Glenn Frey. Souther and Frey became roommates and musical collaborators, forming the country rock band Longbranch Pennywhistle, originally performing under the name John David & Glenn before other members joined the group. Longbranch Pennywhistle released one self-titled album in 1969 on Jimmy Bowen’s Amos Records label.

The friendship with Frey would lead Souther to become part of a circle of friends and creative collaborators that included Don Henley and Linda Ronstadt, and he suggested him as a possible member of the Eagles. Although he never joined the band, Souther worked closely with the Eagles and co-wrote some of their most famous songs. From the 26x platinum-selling Eagles album Hotel CaliforniaSouther co-wrote the songs “New Kid in Town” and “Victim of Love.” On the 1974 album At the borderSouther co-wrote “You Never Cry Like a Lover,” “Best of My Love” and “James Dean.” And on the 1979 album The long termSouther co-wrote three songs, including the No. 1 single “Heartache Tonight.”

In the early 1970s, Souther was in a relationship with singer Linda Ronstadt, and he wrote a number of songs for her and also co-produced her 1973 album. Don’t cry now. For Ronstadt’s follow-up album, Heart like a wheelSouther wrote the song “Faithless Love.” He duetted with Ronstadt many times, including the songs “Prisoner in Disguise,” “Sometimes You Can’t Win,” and “Hearts Against the Wind,” the latter of which was featured in the 1980 film Urban cowboy.

Another collaborator was James Taylor, and the duo enjoyed major success with the 1981 song “Her Town Too,” which reached number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100.

The 1970s were a busy and creative time for Souther. In addition to his work with the Eagles and Ronstadt, he was also a member of The Souther-Hillman-Furay Band, featuring former Byrds member Chris Hillman and Poco’s Richie Furay.

Although he is known for his collaborations with some of the biggest country rock stars of all time, Souther also had a successful solo career. His self-titled debut album was released in 1972 on David Geffen’s Asylum Records and featured the songs “Run Like a Thief”, which was later covered by Bonnie Raitt on her album Home Plate as well as the single “How Long” which was regularly covered by the Eagles during live shows and later featured on the band’s 2007 album Long way from Eden.

Souther scored his biggest solo hit with “You’re Only Lonely”, from the 1979 album of the same name. The song reached number seven on the Billboard Hot 100.

In total, Souther released eight solo albums and one live album. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2013.

Outside of music, Souther also dabbled in acting. He made sporadic television appearances, including the shows Thirty-somethings, Nashville And Purgatory as well as the movies Postcards from the edge, My girl 2 And Term.

Souther is survived by his two sisters, his ex-wife and her daughter.