American singer, songwriter, and actor
Musical artist
John David Souther (born November 2, 1945)[2] is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He has written and co-written songs recorded by Linda Ronstadt and Eagles. Souther is known for his songwriting abilities, especially in the field of country rock. He co-wrote some of the biggest hits for Eagles, including "Best of My Love", "Victim of Love", "Heartache Tonight", and "New Kid in Town". "How Long", which appears on Eagles' Long Road Out of Eden, was written by Souther and originally recorded on his first solo album in 1972. Souther recorded two major hit songs in his solo career: "You're Only Lonely" (1979) and "Her Town Too" (1981), a duet with his longtime friend James Taylor.
Career
Souther was born in Detroit, Michigan, but raised in Amarillo, Texas.[2] His first recordings were with a local group called The Cinders, who traveled to the nearby Norman Petty Studios in Clovis, New Mexico. Their first 45 rpm record was released on the small RIC label in 1965. The following year, Norman Petty successfully shopped their recordings to Warner Brothers for a second single release under the name John David and The Cinders.
After moving to Los Angeles in the late 1960s, Souther met musician and songwriter Glenn Frey. They became roommates and musical collaborators, and briefly performed as a folk duo using the name Longbranch Pennywhistle. Their lone eponymous album was released in 1970 on Jimmy Bowen's Amos Records.
After recording an eponymous solo studio album in 1972, Souther formed the Souther–Hillman–Furay Band with Chris Hillman and Richie Furay. The group released two albums but creative tensions led to the band's demise.
He wrote "Run Like a Thief", which appeared on Bonnie Raitt's 1975 album, Home Plate.
1976 saw the release of Souther's second solo LP Black Rose, produced by Peter Asher and considered by many to be his finest work. It features a duet with Linda Ronstadt, "If You Have Crying Eyes".
Souther has contributed as a singer to works written by other artists, including backing vocals with Don Henley; on "The Light Is On" for Christopher Cross on his debut album; on the songs "False Faces" and "Loose Ends" on Dan Fogelberg's 1976 LP Nether Lands; and, with Fogelberg, as the Hot Damn Brothers on Fogelberg's 1975 LP Captured Angel.
He scored his biggest solo hit with the 1979 song "You're Only Lonely" from the album of the same name, which reached number 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 and held the number 1 spot on the Adult Contemporary chart for five consecutive weeks.
In the 1970s, Souther co-wrote several songs for the Eagles, including: "Best Of My Love", "James Dean", "New Kid In Town" and "Doolin-Dalton". The Eagles recording "Heartache Tonight," written by Souther, Bob Seger, Glenn Frey, and Don Henley, was released in 1979 and became the band's final chart-topping song on the Hot 100.
Souther dated Linda Ronstadt in the 1970s and co-produced her Don't Cry Now album. He also wrote songs for several of her multi-platinum albums, including "Faithless Love" from Heart Like a Wheel and "White Rhythm and Blues" on Living in the USA. Additionally, he recorded several additional duets with Ronstadt including "Prisoner in Disguise," "Sometimes You Can't Win," and "Hearts Against the Wind," which was featured in the 1980 film Urban Cowboy.
A collaboration with his friend James Taylor called "Her Town Too" (from Taylor's platinum-certified Dad Loves His Work album) reached number 11 on the Hot 100 and number 5 on the AC chart in 1981.
In 1987, he contributed to, performed on, and did the vocal arrangements for the Roy Orbison and Friends: A Black and White Night concert and video. That same year he collaborated with Clannad, providing guest vocals for their album Sirius. He sang the Platters' "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" in Steven Spielberg's 1989 film Always, and wrote the theme song to the 1989-1992 sitcom Anything But Love.
He wrote the song "Wishing on Another Lucky Star", featured on the soundtrack of the 1988 movie Permanent Record.
Don Henley's 1989 hit song "The Heart of the Matter" was co-written by Souther.
Souther co-wrote "Doin' Time for Bein' Young", a song performed by James Intveld for the soundtrack of the 1990 Johnny Depp movie Cry-Baby.
On October 14, 2008, Souther released If the World Was You, his first new studio release in nearly 25 years. In the fall of 2009, he released a follow-up live album titled Rain - Live at the Belcourt Theatre, featuring a blend of old and new material.
On May 31, 2011, Souther released Natural History, featuring new versions of his songs recorded by other artists.
On October 9, 2012, he released Midnight in Tokyo, an EP that was recorded live.
On June 14, 2013, Souther was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and called "a principal architect of the Southern California sound and a major influence on a generation of songwriters."[3]
Actor
In 1989, Souther played the character of John Dunaway in the third season of the television drama Thirtysomething. He played Ted in the film Postcards from the Edge (1990).
He appeared in the audiobook of Jimmy Buffett's A Salty Piece of Land. Souther played Jesse James in the television movie Purgatory in 1999 and Jeffrey Pommeroy in My Girl 2. In 2012, he appeared in the mystery thriller Deadline.
Souther had a recurring role in the first season of country music drama series Nashville, which premiered in October 2012. He reprised his role in a 2017 episode of the fifth season.
Personal life
Souther married Alexandra Sliwin, a member of the group Honey Ltd., in March 1969; they divorced in 1972.[4][5] He dated Linda Ronstadt and Stevie Nicks in the 1970s. He briefly dated Judee Sill and was the inspiration for her song "Jesus Was a Cross Maker".[6][7]
In December 2002, Souther moved from the Hollywood Hills to Nashville, Tennessee. In 2004, he married Sarah Nicholson from Bansha, Ireland; they divorced in 2010.[5]
