Don Felder (September 21, 1947) is a rock musician most noted as a guitarist of The Eagles from (1975 - 2001) .
Early life and influences
Born in Gainsville, Florida on 11 September 1947, Don Felder was first attracted to music after watching Elvis live on the Ed Sullivan show. He got hold of his first guitar when he was around 11, which he is believed to have exchanged with a friend for a handfull of cherry bombs. He was heavily influenced by Rock & Roll and when he was 15, joined his first band, the continentals , which also had Stephen Stills of the Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young fame. It is around this time that he met Bernie Leadon, later one of the founding members of the Eagles. Bernie replaced Stills and the band became the Maundy Quintet . After the band broke up, Felder went to New York, with a band called Flow, which released a single Jazz album. While in New York, Felder improved his mastery of the guitar and learnt various styles. After the band broke up, he moved to Boston, where he got himself a job in a recording studio. This is where he met the rest of the Eagles, in 1971 while they were on their first tour. In 1972, Felder moved to California where he was hired as guitar player for an album of David Blue . He helped Blue put together a tour and they opened for Crosby and Nash for around nine months. Around this time he was called by the Eagles to add slide guitar,to their song, Good day in Hell . On the very next day, he was offered to join the band. He is however believed to have been offered a position only after a similar offer, made to Joe Walsh was rejected earlier. Walsh however joined the band later that year, after Bernie Leadon quit. Felder and Walsh were friends from before and they together added a harder edge to Eagles music. The band starting moving away from their earlier country style, towards rock and roll.
Hotel California
The first album to be released by the Eagles after their makeover, was the legendary Hotel California. The album was a major hit. Felder wrote the music for the album's title track, Hotel California, now a classic. After the tremendous success of Hotel California and the tour that followed, the band found itself under tremendous pressure to produce a worthy follow up album. Following the next album, The Long Run, which took three years to complete, the band broke up.
Post 70's
Following the break up of the Eagles, Felder embarked on a solo career. In 1983, he released a Rock and Roll album titled Airborne. This remains till date, his only solo LP. In 1985-86 he hosted a Musical comedy show titled FTV, on MTV. In 1994,when the Eagles regrouped following a famous MTV cocert, released Hell Freezes Over, Felder continued as a member of the Eagles.
The Firing and Litigation
On February 6, 2001,Don Felder was fired from the Eagles. Upon being fired he sued Don Henley and Glenn Frey for wrongful termination and breach of contract.The case is still pending.
External Links
Last updated: 05-09-2005 15:10:26
