Don Henley, the only remaining original member of the Eagles, was born on 22 July 1947 in Gilmer, Texas, making him 79 today. He co-founded the band in the early 1970s, and the Eagles went on to become the best-selling American band in history, a legacy that endures through their continued touring and Henley's own solo success.

Before the Eagles, Henley played in several groups, including Shiloh, whose members became regulars at Los Angeles's Troubadour club, where Henley met future bandmate Glenn Frey. The Eagles' 1972 debut single "Take It Easy" launched a career that has sold over 150 million albums, including the 4x Diamond-certified Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975), and earned six Grammy Awards and a 1998 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction. Henley became the band's sole founding member following Frey's death in 2016, alongside current bandmates Joe Walsh, Timothy B. Schmit, Deacon Frey and Vince Gill. He has also released five solo albums, including hits such as "The Boys of Summer" and "Dirty Laundry", won three solo Grammys, and co-founded environmental and musicians' rights organisations including Walden Woods, the Caddo Lake Institute and the Recording Artists' Coalition.