# In 1981, Don Henley made the best duet of his career, and it’s been challenging him ever since

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/in-1981-don-henley-made-the-best-duet-of-his-career-and-its-been-challenging-him-ever-since/
- Published: 2026-10-31T18:45:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-31T19:19:21+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/in-1981-don-henley-made-the-best-duet-of-his-career-its-been-challenging-him-ever-since/
- Topics: Music

## Key points

- Henley’s high harmony on “Leather and Lace” has become challenging to sing.
- He last performed the duet with Nicks in 2019.
- He adapts his vocals to keep the performance effective.

## Summary

Don Henley’s vocal on Stevie Nicks’s 1981 duet “Leather and Lace” is presented as one of the finest of his career, while also posing a lasting challenge when he performs it. The song’s country-tinged style suited his voice, and the high harmony he recorded has become difficult for him to sing.

Henley said he was unsure whether he could still sing that harmony, and recalled last performing the song with Nicks at her 2019 induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as an individual artist. The article says he adapts his approach to protect the overall performance, a skill also evident in his harmonies with Johnny Cash on “Desperado”.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.