J.D. Souther

I have said it before: songs from our youth are like soundtracks to our lives; when hearing them as older people, we are transported back to those days--the feelings, sights and smells all come rushing back. No group is better than the Eagles at contributing to the soundtrack of my generation.

The songs that came from the Eagles truly bathed my life with the wonders of the American West. They painted images of the desert--replete with cactus, mountains, and mesas--along with mythical mansions where you can check in but never leave. All of these pictures created a fantasy that I longed to set out and find like a musical Don Quixote. When I left home and started my musical career, I eventually realized that those images were all marketing ploys. But man, do I ever love the thought that somewhere out there a place exists where all of those fables are true!

Isn't it crazy how we are transfixed by songs from our youth? I fell in love with the music of America, Dan Fogelberg, Linda Ronstadt and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young for the same reason: they sang of a place where I wanted to live. I wanted to join them--sing and play along-side them. The dream sort of crumbles when you find that your musical heroes are made of flesh and blood--that they can sing out of tune--just like you.

But sometimes the magic is suspended for a few moments, just like it was Friday night when Brenda, my brother Jon, his wife Beth and I saw J.D. Souther in concert at Work Play in Birmingham. Many may not recognize his name, but J. D. Souther helped the Eagles sculpt those images as co-writer on many of their songs. "New Kid In Town," "Best of My Love," "Heartache Tonight," and "The Sad Cafe," to name a few. You probably remember his voice on James Taylor's "Her Town Too." As a performer, his own recording charted #7 on the pop charts called "You're Only Lonely." Souther's voice and writing also graced Linda Ronstadt records with songs such as "Prisoner in Disguise" and "Faithless Love." J.D. is a powerful performing artist in his own right.

I was looking at new releases a few weeks back when I saw that Souther had a new CD coming out called "Natural History." The recording covers several of the songs mentioned above in a stripped-down, acoustic fashion. The CD is certainly one to purchase, especially if you are a fan of Ronstadt and the Eagles. I searched online and noticed that the concert in Birmingham was just weeks away. I had to go see him.

So, as we sat there in that booth Friday night watching him sing those songs live, I was carried back to my teen-aged years of unbridled dreams and musical passion. I still have that drive to play and sing, but I'm wise to the fables that my musical heroes spun back in the day. After the concert my brother bought the new CD, exchanged words with Souther and procured a silver autograph. I walked away from Work Play that night full--full of great memories and the passion to get back to writing the songs that are waiting to be birthed in my own heart.