JD Souther, singer and Eagles co-writer has died, aged 78

Lis Sinatra

American singer-songwriter and actor JD Souther has died at the age of 78.

Souther’s death was confirmed by a representative for the Eagles, who told the Los Angeles Times that he died “peacefully” in his home in New Mexico.

On behalf of Team JD, we are sad to share this news with all of you. 💔

Posted by JD Souther on Tuesday, September 17, 2024

He was soon due to begin a tour with fellow ’70s singer-songwriter Karla Bonoff, and had most recently performed a number of shows earlier this month. His last performance was on September 12 at the Baby Grand in Wilmington, Delaware.

Souther was best known for co-writing two hit songs for the Eagles – ‘New Kid In Town’ and ‘Heartache Tonight’ – as well as Linda Ronstadt’s ‘Faithless Love’. As a singer, his biggest hit was the 1979 song ‘You’re Only Lonely’.

Besides ‘New Kid In Town’ and ‘Heartache Tonight’, Souther had also co-written numerous compositions for the Eagles including ‘Best Of My Love’, ‘Victim Of Love’, ‘James Dean’, ‘Doolin-Dalton’, ‘The Sad Cafe’, ‘You Never Cry Like A Lover’, ‘Teenage Jail’ and ‘Last Good Time In Town’. He also had a close working relationship with Eagles frontman Don Henley, co-writing several songs for his solo albums including ‘The Heart Of The Matter’.

Other names that Souther had written songs for include Bonnie Raitt, James Taylor, George Strait and the Dixie Chicks. As a solo musician, Souther wrote and released eight studio albums, most recently sharing the 2015 record ‘Tenderness’. In 2013, Souther was inducted into the Songwriters Hall Of Fame.

JD Souther being inducted into the Songwriter Hall Of Fame in 2013. Credit: (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Songwriters Hall Of Fame

JD was also an actor, playing the character of John Dunaway in the third season of the TV drama Thirtysomething in 1989. He has also starred in other films and TV shows such as Postcards From The Edge, Purgatory, My Girl 2, Deadline and most recently had a recurring role in the first season of the 2012 country music drama series Nashville. He later reprised his role for a season five episode in 2017.

Following the news of his death, fellow musician Stephen Bishop wrote: “JD and I shared many memories, but one that stands out is when we wrote a song together called For Love back in the 1980s. Though we never finished the song, we did a demo, and I’ll forever cherish that collaboration. JD was a remarkable talent, and his contributions to music are immeasurable. He will be sorely missed, but his legacy will live on in the hearts of those who knew and loved him.”