Don Henley was born in Gilmer, Texas, on July 22, 1947. He grew up in Texas, but moved to Los Angeles in 1970 to record an album with his first band, Shilo, which was financially supported by fellow Texan, Kenny Rogers. Not long after his arrival in Los Angeles, Henley met Glenn Frey and they sung backup for Linda Ronstadt very briefly before embarking on the collaborative effort that would become one of the greatest rock bands of all time, the Eagles.

The first album released by the Eagles in 1972 was self-titled and contained the hits "Take it Easy" and "Witchy Woman," which was written by Henley and co-written by guitarist Bernie Leadon. Throughout the 70s, Don Henley wrote most of the Eagles songs along with Glen Frey, including "Desperado" and "Hotel California." Henley also sang lead vocals frequently. The Eagles broke up after recording The Long Run in 1980. Henley was arrested later that year for possession and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

Whether Henley took the breakup hard or not, he embarked on what would become a very successful solo career shortly after the breakup. The only former Eagles member to become a successful solo artist, Henley released his first album I Cant’ Stand Still in 1982. It contained the song "Dirty Laundry," and was only a moderate success. Also in 1982, Henley recorded "Leather and Lace" with Stevie Nicks. The track reached #6 on the Billboard charts.

Two years later in 1984, Don Henley released his second album Building the Perfect Beast, which contained the single "The Boys of Summer." The nostalgic black and white music video for the single won numerous MTV Video Music Awards including Best Video of the Year. The song also reaped Henley a Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance. Henley’s "The Boys of Summer" has been performed by other artists over the years and landed on the top 40 charts again in 2003 with a remake by The Ataris.

Henley received a second Grammy Award with the release of The End of the Innocence in 1989, which reached sales of 6 million in the U.S. His best selling album, The End of the Innocence, was followed by a brief hiatus before his next album, Actual Miles: Henley’s Greatest Hits, was released in 1995. During this time, he performed the duet "Walk Away Joe" with country superstar Trisha Yearwood. In 2004, Don Henley and the Eagles reunited for a tour.

Henley married former model Sharon Summerall in 1995. Guests who performed at their wedding included Bruce Springsteen, Sting, Billy Joel, Sheryl Crow, and John Fogerty. Together, Henley and Summerall have three children. Don Henley has been active in conservation efforts and ecological education. In 2000, Don Henley and Sheryl Crow founded the Recording Artist’s Coalition, which is a group whose purpose is to protect musicians’ rights against the music industry.

YUDDY