# Born 81 Years Ago Today in the Motor City, the Songwriting Mastermind Who Sacrificed Solo Success by Giving the Eagles and Linda Ronstadt His Best Songs

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/born-81-years-ago-today-in-the-motor-city-the-songwriting-mastermind-who-sacrificed-solo-success-by-giving-the-eagles-and-linda-ronstadt-his-best-songs/
- Published: 2026-11-02T20:09:53+00:00
- Original publisher: American Songwriter
- Original article: https://americansongwriter.com/born-81-years-ago-today-in-the-motor-city-the-songwriting-mastermind-who-sacrificed-solo-success-by-giving-the-eagles-and-linda-ronstadt-his-best-songs/
- Topics: Entertainment, Music

## Key points

- JD Souther helped write several of the Eagles’ biggest hits.
- He turned down joining the band and pursued a solo career.
- His own “You’re Only Lonely” reached No. 7 in the US.

## Summary

JD Souther, born in Detroit on 2 November 1945, became a key songwriter in Los Angeles’s country rock scene and a close collaborator of the Eagles, though he declined an invitation to join the band. His songs helped shape the group’s career, while his own solo work brought him chart success and he later acted in film and television.

Souther co-wrote the Eagles’ first and last US No. 1 singles, “Best of My Love” and “Heartache Tonight”, as well as “New Kid in Town” and “James Dean”. His 1979 song “You’re Only Lonely” reached No. 7 on the US Hot 100, and “Her Town Too”, co-written with James Taylor, peaked at No. 11. Glenn Frey said Souther gave the Eagles and Linda Ronstadt many of his best songs; Souther died in 2024.

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